Seven Men Arrested in Georgia Internet Sting

Seven Georgia men have been arrested in relation to an internet sting conducted by the Woodstock Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

All of the men are facing various felony charges but each man is facing the charge of exploitation of a child in the state of Georgia.

As a Georgia Sex Crimes Attorney, I will outline the law behind this offense in my post today. Most people believe that if a person is arrested as the result of a sting or if a person is arrested for any of the Georgia Sex Crimes then he or she must be guilty of committing that crime. This however is not always the case. An arrest or an accusation is not the same as a conviction. An arrest does not necessarily mean guilt.

Exploitation of a Child in Georgia

O.C.G.A. §16-12-100 outlines the various ways that an individual can commit sexual exploitation of a child in Georgia.

• 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.

The crime of sexual exploitation of a child is classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony based on the severity of the crime, the portion of the law violated, and the age of the victim.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a crime in the state of Georgia. Call our offices today. We can help you now.