FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A 36-year-old man faces a human trafficking charge in Fulton County after international authorities rescued a 16-year-old girl during a multi-agency crackdown, according to the Georgia Attorney General's Office.
What we know:
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Eric Gordon, 36, of Decatur, on Aug. 17 for trafficking a 16-year-old female for sexual servitude, according to the Georgia Attorney General's Office.
U.S. Marshals helped take Gordon into custody on Aug. 4.
Investigators recovered the victim during Operation "Global Chain," an effort conducted from June 8 to June 12 that rescued 11 missing children in Georgia, according to officials.
The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit investigated the case alongside the Atlanta Police Department, the FBI's Atlanta Field Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Human Services and Richmond County Sheriff's Office.
"This is exactly why we can never stop fighting to recover a missing child, and we’re using all available resources to bring them home," Attorney General Chris Carr said. "By partnering with law enforcement both in Georgia and around the globe, we’re able to locate even more victims and ultimately save even more lives, but our work doesn’t stop here. We’re going after everyone involved in the trafficking of a child, and we won’t rest until they’re off our streets and behind bars."
What we don't know:
Officials have not released additional details regarding the ongoing investigation or the specific circumstances surrounding Gordon's arrest, citing office policy. Authorities have not disclosed the current location or recovery status details of the 10 other children located during the operation.
The backstory:
Operation "Global Chain" involved international coordination with the FBI, Interpol, Europol and Ameripol. The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit previously participated in Operation "Coast to Coast," which rescued 11 missing children nationwide.
The unit has closed over 40 illicit massage businesses across Athens-Clarke, Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, Floyd, Gwinnett, Hall and Henry counties through Operation "In Plain Sight," according to the attorney general's office.
Previous efforts under Operation "Not Forgotten" located 39 missing children in 2020 and 20 in 2021, including a 17-year-old Kansas City girl found in Fulton County whose case led to 13 convictions.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who detailed the indictment and operation details in an official news release, as well as court documents from the Fulton County Grand Jury.