Greater Decatur resident one of 26 Georgians arrested on sexual exploitation charges
A Greater Decatur resident is one of 26 Georgians who were recently arrested as part of an investigation into child sexual exploitation.
Zachary Mitchell Allen, 40, was arrested in Gwinnett County and is accused of enticing a child for indecent purposes and obscene internet contact with a child. He has bonded out of jail, records show. Attempts to reach Allen or his attorney for comment were unsuccessful. The Gwinnett County Police declined to confirm Allen’s arrest and arrest records were corroborated via an open records request to the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 24 agencies that are part of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force participated in the operation.
“Operation Sneaky Peach was a statewide, multi-jurisdictional coordinated effort by all agencies involved to identify and arrest individuals involved in technology facilitated crimes against children,” a press release from GBI says. “Operation Sneaky Peach involved three months of planning and included both proactive and reactive cases investigated by the GBI and affiliate agencies with the Georgia ICAC Task Force. Proactive investigations consisted of targeting peer-to-peer network users sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, and undercover chat investigations targeting those that communicate with and arrange to meet what is believed to be a child for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts. Reactive investigations consisted of working CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that involved the possession, distribution, and/or manufacturing of CSAM.”
Police agencies executed 34 residential search warrants as part of the operation.
“Digital forensic investigators previewed 296 electronic devices on scene and seized 281 electronic devices to include cellular phones, tablets, computers, hard drives, and various electronic data storage devices,” the press release says. “Operation Sneaky Peach identified 30 children that were residing in households where online child sexual exploitation was occurring. Four of those arrested during Operation Sneaky Peach admitted to current or prior hands-on sexual offenses against a child.”
In addition to the 26 adults arrested, one of those arrested was a minor and was charged as a juvenile, the GBI’s press release says.
“More arrests may be forthcoming in this investigation once complete forensic processing of the seized electronic devices have occurred,” the GBI’s press release says.
Allen’s arrest follows another recent child exploitation arrest involving a Decatur resident.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested and charged Jamison Parker, 37, of Decatur, on Aug. 17. Parker is accused of sexual exploitation of children. The Decatur Police Department helped the GBI execute the search warrant in this case.
A spokesperson for the GBI says Parker is facing three counts of sexual exploitation of children.
Parker lives in the 200 block of Ponce de Leon Place, according to a spokesperson for Decatur Police. Parker has been released from jail, according to county records. Attempts to reach Parker or his attorney were unsuccessful.
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The GBI says the public can submit tips anonymously.
https://decaturish.com/2023/09/greater-decatur-resident-one-of-26-georgians-arrested-on-sexual-eploitation-charges/