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7 arrested in Hall County online sex sting operation

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  August 20, 2025 8:48am EDT
Hall County
FOX 5 Atlanta
article

Courtesy of Hall County Sheriff's Office

The Brief

    • Hall County deputies arrested seven suspects in "Operation Lights Out," a weekend undercover sting targeting online sexual exploitation and prostitution.
    • Charges include electronic exploitation of minors, pandering, prostitution, and drug possession, with three suspects remaining jailed without bond.
    • The multi-agency operation involved the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, GBI, and Floyd County Police.

HALL COUNTY, Ga. - Hall County investigators arrested seven people over the weekend during an undercover operation targeting individuals seeking illegal sexual activity online.

What we know:

"Operation Lights Out," planned by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Floyd County Police, took place Friday and Saturday in western Hall County.

According to authorities, the two-day sting led to the following arrests:

  • Jorge Francisco Arevalo, 59, of Flowery Branch – charged with electronic exploitation of a minor and grooming a child for indecent purposes after allegedly attempting to lure someone he believed was a minor into sexual activity.
  • Juan Domingo Lesther Aguirre, 29, of Cleveland – charged with electronic exploitation and sexual exploitation of a minor for allegedly soliciting nude images from someone he thought was under 18.
  • James Cole Johnson, 29, of Flowery Branch – charged with misdemeanor pandering.
  • Andrew Stakoun, 56, of Atlanta – charged with misdemeanor pandering.
  • Desameria Lysandra Lattimore, 27, of Winder – charged with misdemeanor prostitution for offering sex to an undercover investigator for $250.
  • Candie Petty, 45, of Chatsworth – charged with prostitution and misdemeanor marijuana possession, as well as felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Deputies say she offered sex for $450 and also tried to sell marijuana to an investigator.
  • Qwantavious Dashay Tolbert, 29, of Winder – charged with felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (oxycodone) with intent to distribute. Investigators say Tolbert had pills on him and transported Lattimore to the operation site.

All seven suspects were booked into the Hall County Jail. Arevalo, Aguirre and Petty remain held without bond. Tolbert was granted an $8,100 bond but remained in custody Monday. Johnson, Stakoun and Lattimore were each released after posting $1,300 bond.

What they're saying:

Sheriff’s officials said the operation was part of an ongoing effort to combat internet-based sexual exploitation and related crimes.

The Source

  • Information for above story provided by Hall County Sheriff's Office. 

Hall CountyCrime and Public SafetyNews