A Jackson County man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of children by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Patrick John Agnew, 58, of Hoschton was arrested as a result of the investigation into his online activity. According to a press release, the bureau received a cyber tip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) involving the possible online distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation led to a search of Agnew’s home by the FBI Gainesville Office, the GBI and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Agnew was taken into custody and transported to the Jackson County jail.
Reports indicate this investigation is part of an ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to identify those involved in the distribution of child sexual abuse materials. The program was created by the U.S. Department of Justice in response to a growing number of children and teenagers using the internet and heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised underage victims.
The GBI asks anyone with information about other cases involving child exploitation to contact the Computer Crimes Unit at (404) 270-8870 or report to the CyberTipline via their website. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-8477 or by going online. You can also use the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
