Man Arrested After Allegedly Trying to Purchase Georgia Minor

A man in Cobb County has been arrested after allegedly attempting to purchase a 12-year-old girl.

According to reports, the man was arrested in the same building as the Cobb County Tax Commissioner and SafePath Children's Advocacy Center. It is unclear at the moment whether or not he was inside or outside of the building when he attempted the purchase. Investigators allege that he was purchasing the girl for the purposes of sex trafficking.

As a Georgia Sex Crimes Attorney, I understand the law behind sex trafficking in Georgia proficiently. The offense of sex trafficking in this state is known by law as trafficking a person for sexual servitude. I will outline the law below.

Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude in Georgia

Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-5-46 as:

When a person knowingly subjects another person to or maintains another person in sexual servitude or knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means another for the purpose of sexual servitude. 

By law, sexual servitude includes any sexually explicit conduct or performance involving sexually explicit conduct for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to, or received by any individual, which conduct is induced or obtained:

• By coercion or deception;
• From an individual who is under the age of 18 years;
• From an individual whom the accused believes to be under the age of 18 years;
• From an individual who has a development disability; or
• From an individual from whom the accused believes to have a development disability. 

If convicted of trafficking an individual for labor or sexual servitude, a person will be guilty of a felony and will be punished by a prison term of ten to twenty years and a fine up to $100,000.00. 

Furthermore, the penalty will be escalated if the person has a developmental disability or was under the age of 18 and was coerced or deceived into being trafficked for labor or sexual servitude. Upon conviction, the accused will be guilty of a felony and will receive a fine up to $100,000.00 and a prison term between twenty-five and fifty years.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested for committing a crime in the state of Georgia, call our offices today.