ATLANTA — A total of 18 people, including three from north Georgia, have been arrested as part of a statewide child pornography sting conducted by the GBI and local law enforcement. All of those arrested face charges related to possession, production or distribution of child porn via the Internet.
The investigation - known as Operation Secret Guardian - spanned three months; search warrants were executed in 16 counties Wednesday, according to a GBI press statement.
Those arrested in our area include Earl Benson, 68, of Dawsonville, Bobby Justin Lynn, 29, of Buford and Uriah McCullers, 37, of Bethlehem.
The GBI said over the course of the operation, agents examined 69 digital devices and seized 232 digital devices as evidence. Other arrests may occur after analysis of the seized digital device, according to the press statement.
The GBI released the following list of those arrested, along with the occupations of the suspects:
- Earl Benson, age 68, Dawsonville, GA, contract employee
- Joseph Brantley - age 59, Waynesboro, GA, auto parts store employee
- Jeremy Converse - age 37, Dallas, GA, tow truck driver
- Casilvo Valdivi Crisanto - age 42, Glynn County, fast food restaurant worker
- Isidro Delibrado - age 49, Marietta, GA, flooring installer
- Richard Ellis Ford - age 42, Rossville, GA, fast food worker
- Jaco Armani Griggs - age 29, Covington, GA, unemployed/disabled
- Tyler Kauffman - age 23 Marietta, GA, unknown
- Jason Kingry - age 43, Atlanta, GA, construction worker
- Bobby Justin Lynn - age 29, Buford, GA, retail worker
- Uriah McCullers – age 37, Bethlehem, GA, Deputy *NOTE: The Barrow County Sheriff's Office says McCullers lives in Barrow County, but is a Walton County Sheriff's Deputy.*
- Julio Gomez Munoz – age 28, Roswell, GA, restaurant worker
- Samuel Oh - age 30, Hinesville, GA, military personnel
- Juan Cesar Olvera - age 38, Athens, GA, restaurant worker
- Matthew Payton - age 32, Smyrna, GA, fast food worker
- Christopher Rinker – age 46, Hamilton, GA, LAN engineer
- David Christopher Sammons - age 29, Eatonton, GA, aerospace company employee
- Colby Harrison Waldroup - age 23, Monroe, GA, unknown
The following agencies participated in Operation Secret Guardian:
- Georgia Bureau of Investigation
- Athens-Clarke County Police Department
- Bacon County Sheriff’s Office
- Barrow County Sheriff’s Office
- Brookhaven Police Department
- Burke County Sheriff’s Office
- Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
- Cobb County Police Department
- Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
- Dawson County Sheriff’s Office
- Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
- Early County Sheriff’s Office
- Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
- Glynn County Police Department
- Gwinnett County Police Department
- Harris County Sheriff’s Office
- Henry County Police Department
- Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
- Lilburn Police Department
- Marietta Police Department
- Newton County Sheriff’s Office
- Paulding County Sheriff’s Office
- Pooler Police Department
- Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
- Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
- Roswell Police Department
- Smyrna Police Department
- Walker County Sheriff’s Office
- Walton County Sheriff’s Office
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- Homeland Security Investigations
