A Gainesville man who was arrested in January for an armed robbery incident is now facing new charges after child pornography was reportedly found on his cell phone.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office said Thursday morning that Abraham Makaya-Bazaba, 18, of Gainesville, is now charged with 164 felony counts of sexual exploitation of children, in addition to the felony armed robbery, aggravated assault and theft by taking charges he was already facing.
Mayaka-Bazaba was initially arrested by Gainesville Police on Jan. 18 for allegedly committing the armed robbery on Jan. 13 at the Browns Bridge Market. He allegedly pointed a gun at the clerk at that store and demanded money. He then fled from the store with nearly $700 in stolen cash.
In the weeks following his initial arrest, Gainesville Police discovered sexually explicit photos of children on the suspect's cell phone.
Because the suspect lives in Hall County, the phone was turned over to Hall County Sheriff's Office investigators for further processing. That investigation led to the discovery of 164 images of child sexual abuse material on the phone. The children in the photos were estimated to range in age from infant to 14-years-old.
He remained in the Hall County Jail without bond as of Thursday morning.
