FLOYD COUNTY, Georgia – A child sex sting from the Floyd County Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies has jailed six men, including an elementary school teacher.
According to the police, “Operation Safe Christmas” ended with six men between the ages of 27 and 46 in handcuffs.
During the three-day operation, which began on Wednesday, December 15, investigators compiled more than 200 messages of alleged minors on various social media and internet platforms. In many of these conversations initiated by the suspects, the conversation was focused on sex.
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In some of these cases, investigators said the suspects either exposed the person they believed was a minor to pornography or asked them to take nude or porn photos of themselves.
“Operation Safe Christmas was designed to arrest people who communicate with children online and then travel to see them to have sex. Online child robbers visit chat rooms and websites on the Internet, find children, start conversations with them, introduce sexual content and schedule a meeting with the children to commit sexual acts with children under the age of 16, “police said in a release.
Suspects arrested include:
- Jeremy Bowman, a 44-year-old elementary school teacher – charged with child sexual exploitation, obscene internet contact with a child, criminal attempt to commit a crime (serious child abuse)
- Jimmy Bowen, a 46-year-old worker – accused of providing obscene material electronically to a minor, obscene internet contact with a child, sexually explicit behavior by a minor, criminal attempt to commit a crime (serious child abuse)
- Jeovani Ortega, a 31-year-old construction worker – charged with obscene internet contact with a child, criminal attempt to commit a crime (aggravated child abuse)
- Jeff White, a 27-year-old construction worker – charged with electronically providing obscene material to minors, obscene internet contact with a child, child sexual exploitation, aggravated assault of an officer in the performance of his duties, obstruction of an officer, interference in state property, simple assault , willful obstruction of police officers, reckless behavior
- Norman Gentry, 31 years old and unemployed – charged with obscene internet contact with a child, using computer services to encourage, entice or seduce into an illegal act, criminal attempt to commit a crime (serious child abuse), purchase, possession, Manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana
- Adam Broadrick, 40 years old and unemployed – charged with child sexual exploitation, obscene internet contact with a child, criminal attempt to commit a crime (serious child abuse), willful obstruction of law enforcement
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Police said there could be more arrests and charges in the future.
Channel 2 Action News has requested mug shots of all six suspects. Once received, this story will be updated.
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