As a result of a proactive online undercover investigation coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC) and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Arrested 12 people killed over a three-day period beginning Thursday 4 May 2023.
Arrested and charged:
- Ameziane Hadjaz, 38, from Acworth, GA, Occupation: Sales Engineer; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation.
- Jason Rogich, 47, from Adairsville, GA, Occupation: Unemployed; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation.
- Algenone Kenonta Shaw, age 33, of Cartersville, GA, occupation: unknown; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation and OCGA 16-10-24(b) disability.
- Senaca Terry Darns, age 43, of Cartersville, GA, Occupation: Landscaper; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation
- Melvin Walcott, 56, of Cartersville, GA, Occupation: Rideshare Driver; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation.
- Jonathan Brumit, 42, of Lindale, GA, Occupation: Forklift operator; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation.
- Dannis Lucious Jackson, age 43, of Rome, GA, Occupation Warehouse Worker; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation.
- Justin Leo Tan, 24, from Lawrenceville, GA, Occupation: Unemployed; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) computer/electronic pornography and prevention of child exploitation and OCGA 16-11-106 possession of a firearm while committing a criminal offense
- Jose A. Martinez-Medina, age 45, of Cave Spring, GA, Occupation: Factory Supervisor; Charged with OCGA 16-5-46 human trafficking.
- Tyler Jordon Croft, 25, from Hull, GA, Occupation: Unemployed; Charged with OCGA 16-5-46 human trafficking
- Curtis Breeden, 33, of Cartersville, GA Occupation: Factory worker; Charged with OCGA 16-12-100 Sexual Exploitation of Children (9 counts).
- William Biggs, Jr., age 64, of Cartersville, GA, Occupation: Unemployed; OCGA 16-12-100.2(d)(1) Computer/Electronic Pornography and Prevention of Child Exploitation
More charges and arrests could be forthcoming.
Operation Golden Eagle took several months of planning and involved the cooperation of 12 law enforcement agencies. Those arrested, ranging in age from 24 to 64, traveled from areas around Bartow County, GA to meet a child for sex. Eleven of those arrested believed they were going to a place to meet a child and engage in pre-arranged sexual acts. One was arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material found in the execution of a search warrant. GBI Digital Forensic investigators were on-site at the operation to forensically process 16 electronic devices seized as evidence during the operation.
The goal of “Operation Golden Eagle” was to identify individuals who were sexually explicit in communicating with children online, engaging in a sex act with the child, and then traveling to meet the child to have sex. In addition, the operation targeted those willing to exploit children by buying sex with a minor. Online child criminals visit chat rooms and websites on the internet, find children, start conversations with them, present sexual content and arrange to meet the children to have sex. The children targeted by these predators are both boys and girls. Since 2014, the Georgia ICAC Task Force has arrested over 178 people in similar operations.
During Operation Golden Eagle, undercover officers had more than 98 conversations with individuals on various social media and internet platforms. During many of these conversations, subjects steered conversations toward sex with people they believed to be minors. Some of these conversations involved agreeing to have sex with a minor in return for monetary compensation. 21 cases were identified that reached the threshold for arrest. Eleven of those cases ended in arrests after the perpetrator attempted to actually meet the “child” in person. In some of these cases, the data subject introduced obscene or ridiculous content, often exposing what the perpetrator believed to be a child to pornography or asking the child to produce and broadcast sexual or pornographic images for them. About half of the exchanges involved sites used for dating, socializing, or even classified ads.
Although some websites advertise as “adults only”, it is not uncommon for law enforcement to handle cases where children access these websites, create profiles claiming to be older, and then become victims of victimization, harassment, extortion or attack. Multiple subjects were found to be communicating simultaneously with multiple investigators posing as minors. Such activity confirms what investigators uncover when conducting this type of investigation: that many predators use such websites to target minors as potential sexual victims.
Twelve law enforcement agencies, all partners in the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, participated in Operation Golden Eagle. These agencies were:
- Bartow County Sheriff’s Office
- Bartow County District Attorney’s Office
- Cartersville Police Department
- Federal Office of Investigations
- Floyd County Police Department
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation (CEACC, HEAT, GISAC and Region 7)
- Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Homeland Security investigations
- Lilburn Police Department
- Polk County Police Department
- Roswell Police Department
- United States Secret Service
The Georgia ICAC Task Force is made up of more than 290 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, other related law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors’ offices. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the US Department of Justice and managed and operated by the GBI in Georgia, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases. This support includes forensic and investigative components, training and technical support, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and adolescents using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and the increased online activity of predators seeking unsupervised contact with underage victims. The ICAC program provides national resources at the local level by helping state and local law enforcement agencies develop effective and sustainable responses to online child victimization and child pornography. Any Georgian law enforcement agency wishing to join the GA ICAC Task Force is encouraged to contact the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crime Division.
Anyone with information about these or other child exploitation cases is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Unit at 404-270-8870 or through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at CyberTipline. org to report. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
