ATLANTA (CBS46) — Six men are in police custody as part of an operation targeting online child predators. Floyd County police say the arrests were carried out after the men were allegedly involved in online chats with undercover agents who they believed to be minors.
In an weekslong investigation called “Operation Safe Christmas,” Floyd County police, in partnership with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, documented over 200 exchanges with the arrested men on various social media or internet platforms. Many of those were exchanges in which the men allegedly initiated contact and directed the conversation toward sex. In some of those cases, police say the men introduced obscene or lude content, often exposing the person they believed to be a minor to pornography or requesting the child take nude or pornographic images for them.
About half of the exchanges involved websites used for dating, socializing, or even websites used for classified advertisements.
Over a three-day period, the following men were arrested:
1.) Jimmy Bowen, 46 – General Laborer – Charges: Electronically furnishing obscene material to minor; Obscene internet contact with a child; Sexually explicit conduct of minor; Criminal attempt to commit a felony (aggravated child molestation).
2.) Jeovani Ortega, 31 – Construction- Charges: Obscene internet contact with a child; Criminal attempt to commit a felony (aggravated child molestation).
3.) Jeff White, 27 – Construction – Charges: Electronically furnishing obscene material to minor; Obscene internet contact with a child; Sexual exploitation of children; Aggravated Assault on Officer in Performance of Duties; Obstruction of an Officer; Interference with government property; Simple assault; Willful obstruction of law enforcement officers; Reckless conduct.
4.) Norman Gentry, 31 – Unemployed – Charges: Obscene internet contact with a child; Use computer service to seduce, solicit, lure or entice to commit illegal act; Criminal attempt to commit a felony (aggravated child molestation), Purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution, or sale of Marijuana.
5.) Adam Broadrick, 40 – Unemployed – Charges: Sexual exploitation of children; Obscene internet contact with a child; Criminal attempt to commit a felony (aggravated child molestation); Willful obstruction of law enforcement officers.
6.) Jeremy Bowman, 44 – Elementary School Teacher – Charges: Sexual exploitation of children; Obscene internet contact with a child; Criminal attempt to commit a felony (aggravated child molestation).
Each man who was arrested believed he was going to meet up with a minor as part of a prearranged sexual engagement. Instead, they were met by officers with handcuffs.
