Atlanta airline worker arrested in child exploitation probe
Airline worker faces felony after agents wait at home
Coweta County deputies arrested an Atlanta airline worker at his home on a felony child exploitation charge after federal tipsters flagged his computer for illicit material.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Deputies arrested an Atlanta airline worker in the driveway of his Coweta County home late last week after a national tip sparked an online child exploitation investigation, officials said.
What we know:
Investigators waited with an arrest warrant outside the Coweta County home of Robert Wilkinson as he appeared to arrive from work late last week.
Deputies relieved him of his safety glasses and airport credentials before taking him into custody.
Wilkinson faces one count of sexual exploitation of children.
Officials confirmed he works for a major airline in Atlanta, though investigators said the alleged crimes did not happen at his workplace and were unrelated to his job duties.
The Coweta County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit investigated Wilkinson for several weeks before making the arrest.
A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children initiated the inquiry after flagging his computer for possession of child pornography or child sexual abuse material.
What we don't know:
Deputies seized all electronic devices from the home, and detectives plan to comb through stored digital data.
Investigators have not disclosed what specific files were recovered or whether additional charges will follow the forensic review.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, which provided arrest details, case background and statements through Cpl. Jacob Herbert, as well as on-scene reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta.