UPDATE: A Gainesville man faces 100 additional counts of sexual exploitation of children following forensic processing of a laptop computer seized from his home earlier this month.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office Investigators obtained the new arrest warrants for Clayton Henry Hardy, 34, on Friday, Feb. 28. The additional counts are for images located on Hardy’s laptop depicting children engaged in a lewd display or sexual acts. Hardy has remained in the Hall County Jail since his initial arrest in the case on Feb. 18.
Thursday, February 20, 2020: Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesman Derreck Booth said the department received a cybertip on Monday, Feb. 17 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The tip led to a search warrant for the home of Hardy. The warrant was executed on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
"According to the initial investigation, Hardy possessed at least 11 images of children between the approximate ages of five and 12 engaged in sex acts and lewd display of their bodies," Booth said. He said the images were discovered on an electronic device.
In addition, agents with the MANS Task Force, who were assisting with the execution of the warrant, found about one-fourth of an ounce of methamphetamine in the residence on Pinedale Lane off Harmony Church Road.
As a result, Hardy was charged with 11 counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of methamphetamine.
Booth said the quick turnaround from the time the tip came into the arrest was impressive.
"Sheriff Gerald Couch is particularly pleased with the work on this case," Booth said. "This turnaround time of approximately 24 hours is basically an amazingly short amount of time to develop enough information in a case to lead to an arrest. It really serves as a reminder of the commitment of the investigators of the sheriff's office to the community."
Booth said the case remains under investigation.
