HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Ten people were arrested after a months-long Hall County child predator sting, according to the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
The undercover investigation, known as Operation Good Shepherd, targets online child predators.
The operation began back in October when investigators began communicating with adults online who thought they were speaking with children. Authorities said they talked to the adults through several platforms including social media and text messages.
The adults who were alleged to be communicating with -- who they believed to be minors -- range in age from 24 to 47 and are residents of Georgia cities from Lilburn to Cleveland.
Officials said some of them offered money to detectives, who they thought were children, to perform sexual acts and others sent obscene pictures and described obscene sexual acts.
Hall County authorities said they began taking people into custody on Thursday, Nov.21 and the arrests happened nearly daily after that. It came to an end after its final arrest Nov. 27, according to authorities.
"I'm very proud of the efforts of our own Criminal Investigations Division in heading up and executing this operation,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said. “I'm confident the hard work of our team and partner agencies in this effort will make the community safer for our children.”
Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC), the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and Floyd County Police Department were in collaboration to carry out Operation Good Shepherd.
The operation is complete, but authorities said each case remains under investigation and additional charges may occur.
The 10 arrested are:
Patrick C. Reese, 32, of Flowery Branch
• Sexual exploitation of children
• Aggravated child molestation, criminal attempt
Alan Alberto Rojas, 24, of Lilburn
• Child molestation, criminal attempt
• Aggravated child molestation, criminal attempt
• Obscene material, furnish electronically to minor
• Enticing a child online
• Human trafficking
Cynthia Lynn Michelle Lloyd, 25, of Gainesville
• Prostitution
Patricia Erica Burt, 37, of Cumming
• Prostitution
• Human trafficking
Michael Ryan Jewell, 35, of Buford
• Sexual exploitation of children
Christopher Alan Hoover, 33, of Jasper
• Enticing a child online x 5
• Sexual exploitation of children
• Pandering by compulsion
Colt David Clemmer, 33, of Talmo
• Sexual exploitation of children
Matthew David Ingram, 34, of Gainesville
• Sexual exploitation of children x 3
William David Gowdy, 40, of Cumming
• Sexual exploitation of children x 3
• Electronic enticement of a minor
Jason Noel Lingerfelt, 47, of Cleveland
• Enticing a child online x 4
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