Two Columbus men arrested, charged with sexual exploitation of children
Two Columbus men were arrested and charged with the sexual exploitation of children earlier this week, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
The GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit executed two unrelated search warrants at the homes of 38-year-old Kevin Perry and 32-year-old Christopher Hovey on Wednesday.
Perry was charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children, and Hovey was charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of children, the agency said in a news release.
The GBI began investigating Perry and Hovey’s online activity after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alleging the men possibly possessed “child sexual abuse material,” the agency said.
The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the search warrants and arrests, and the men were taken to the Muscogee County Jail. The investigation is part of the GBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to identify those involved in the trade of child sexual abuse material, the agency said.
Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.