Authorities said 23 suspected child predators were arrested in multiple counties after an undercover investigation dubbed "Operation Spring Cleaning".
The arrests occurred over a five-day period beginning on April 20. The operation was centered in Gwinnett County and took months of planning.
The investigation aimed to arrest people who communicated with children online and then traveled to meet them to have sexual interactions. The operation also targeted those who were willing to exploit children by purchasing sex with a minor.
Authorities said the suspects, whose ages ranged from 19 to 48, traveled around the metro Atlanta area with the intent to meet with children for sex.
Some of their jobs included electricians, construction workers, retail employee, mechanic, hotel employee, janitor and some were unemployed.
The list of the 23 arrested includes:
1. Scott Robert Baxter, W/M, Tucker, GA, 34, retail employee
2. Andrew Sean Carroll, W/M, Dacula, GA, 19, grounds maintenance
3. Brian Dwayne Clark, W/M, Winder, GA, 41, mechanic
4. Alisha Gagguturu, I/M, Suwanee, GA, 23, unknown
5. Connor Fionn Hale, W/M, Lawrenceville, GA, 23, unemployed
6. Demetrius Deshawn Harper, B/M, Lawrenceville, GA, 22, automotive technician
7. Joel Blake Jackson, W/M, from Braselton, GA, 22, gas station attendant
8. Rasesh Jagtap, I/M, Alpharetta, GA, 33, information technology specialist
9. Akshat Jasra, I/M, Alpharetta, GA, 35, software consultant
10. David Kelley, B/M, College Park, GA, 22, model display builder
11. Steven Anthony King, B/M, Clarksville, GA, 26, warehouse employee
12. Horacio Mendoza, H/M, Lawrenceville, GA, 48, construction worker
13. Andrew Ryan Murphy, W/M, Norcross, GA, 22, janitor
14. Max Park, A/M, Suwanee, GA, 37, unemployed
15. Edward Harold Ramsey, B/M, Wichita, KS, 24, USAF
16. Melchior Simon, B/M, Duluth, GA, 28, unemployed
17. Martinez-Torres Sixto , H/M, from Norcross, GA, 30, electrician
18. Brett William Smith, Jr., W/M, 35, floor installer
19. Zadok Smith, B/M, Duluth, GA, 27, furniture assembler
20. James Evan Soggs, W/M, Sandy Springs, GA, 20, warehouse employee
21. Adis Spahic, W/M, from Lawrenceville, GA, 40, warehouse manager
22. Ertiza Talukder, I/M, Lawrenceville, GA, 23, hotel employee
23. William David Warren, W/M, Winder, GA, 41, shop foreman
The investigation was coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), and the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office.
Since 2014, The Georgia ICAC Task Force have arrested 77 people in similar operations as this one.
These "Operation Spring Cleaning" arrests were executed because of a joint effort of 15 different agencies which include:
- Alpharetta Police
- Atlanta Police Department
- Clayton County Police Department
- Columbus Police Department
- Coweta County Sheriff's Office
- Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC)
- Glynn County Police Department
- Hall County Sheriff's Office
- LaGrange Police Department
- Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
- Marietta Police Department
- Polk County Police Department
- Woodstock Police Department
- Federal Bureau of Investigations
- Homeland Security Investigations
More crime | Mug shots in other cases
