GBI: 10 arrested in Clayton County child pornography investigation

Georgia law enforcement has arrested 10 people as part of a months-long investigation and operation into the distribution and possession of child pornography in Clayton County.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tells FOX 5 that the coordinated effort involved the GBI's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, the GBI’s Special Enforcement Team, the Clayton County Police Department, and other police departments in the state.

According to officials, the investigation began months ago from "cybertips" received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving people in Clayton County.

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After four days of interviews, searches, digital forensics, and data analysis, the GBI says they arrested 10 people and identified at least five children as victims.

Law enforcement says the suspects arrested range between 19 and 64 years old. The majority of the suspects are either students or unemployed. At least two of the suspects had been previously accused of child molestation. At least one person was arrested based on investigators discovering illegal narcotics during a search.

“Because these predators exist, it is most important that we take opportunities to partner with other law enforcement agencies for the betterment of our communities and for the protection of our children," Clayton County Police Department Chief Kevin Roberts said in a statement. "We thank the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s ICAC Task Force for their ceaseless efforts to proactively pursue these predators and providing the Clayton County Police Department with the ability to participate in the fight to keep our children’s innocence.”

The list of suspects arrested int he operation is below.

  • Geré Patrick Beasley, 19, student
  • Isaiah Edwards, 22, restaurant employee
  • Gabriel Fuentes-Arambula, 41, unemployed
  • Greyson Grant, 23, student
  • Robert Jump, 55, unemployed
  • William Moran, 64, unemployed
  • Luis Alfredo Merida Ortiz, 26, restaurant employee
  • Kevin Pineda, 24, warehouse worker
  • Jumah Travers, 32, unemployed
  • Rico Williams, 21, unemployed 

Authorities have charged all 10 men with crimes connected to Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 2007. Officials believe additional charges and more arrests will be coming after investigators analyze the 30 digital devices seized as evidence.

So far in 2020, officials say the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has found nearly 60 children living with offenders who viewed child pornography, of which 20 of them were identified as victims of sexual abuse. Last year, the task force made 474 arrests around the state.

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