Gainesville Man Faces Over 70 Counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children

Hall County Courthouse

Gainesville, Ga. – A man has been arrested on more charges after an initial arrest from last August in 2019. He is now facing an additional 76 charges in Hall County.

The charges all come from child sexual abuse material. A further and more in-depth search of his technological devices resulted in the discovery of 76 images and videos of child sexual abuse.

As a Georgia Sex Crimes Lawyer, I will focus on the offense of sexual exploitation of children in the state of Georgia.

Sexual Exploitation of Children in Georgia

The Georgia Code defines the criminal offense of sexual exploitation of children in Georgia in the statute, O.C.G.A. §16-12-100, by outlining the different ways that someone can commit the offense. These different actions include: 

• It is unlawful for any person knowingly to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, or coerce any minor to engage in or assist any other person to engage in any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual medium depicting such conduct.
• It is unlawful for any parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a minor knowingly to permit the minor to engage in or to assist any other person to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual medium depicting such conduct.
• It is unlawful for any person knowingly to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, or coerce any minor to engage in or assist any other person to engage in any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of any performance.
• It is unlawful for any parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a minor knowingly to permit the minor to engage in or to assist any other person to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of any performance.
• It is unlawful for any person knowingly to create, reproduce, publish, promote, sell, distribute, give, exhibit, or possess with intent to sell or distribute any visual medium which depicts a minor or a portion of a minor's body engaged in any sexually explicit conduct.
• It is unlawful for any person knowingly to advertise, sell, purchase, barter, or exchange any medium, which provides information as to where any visual medium, which depicts a minor, or a portion of a minor's body engaged in any sexually explicit conduct can be found or purchased.
• It is unlawful for any person knowingly to bring or cause to be brought into this state any material, which depicts a minor, or a portion of a minor's body engaged in any sexually explicit conduct.
• It is unlawful for any person knowingly to possess or control any material, which depicts a minor, or a portion of a minor's body engaged in any sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted of violating O.C.G.A. §16-12-100, then the convicted person is guilty of a felony offense in Georgia.  The punishment will include a prison term between five and twenty years and a fine up to $100,000. 

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested in Georgia, contact our offices today.