GEORGIA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests of 17 people accused of technology-facilitated crimes against children.
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Operation Byte Down involved the GBI and 33 law enforcement agencies in Georgia. Through Operation Byte Down, suspects were arrested for various child exploitation charges, including sharing child pornography and contact or attempted contact with a minor for sex.
The GBI said they found 13 children living in homes where online child sexual exploitation occurred, with one of the suspects admitting to current or prior hands-on sexual offenses against a child.
Investigators seized 361 electronic devices, including phones, tablets, computers, hard drives and various data storage devices.
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The following people were arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of children and other related offenses:
- Kong Hon Yim, 63, of Duluth, booked into the Gwinnett County Jail
- Ezequiel Ortiz, 30, of Duluth, booked into the Gwinnett County Jail
- Jianglin Meng, 26, of Norcross, booked into the Gwinnett County Jail
- Morgan Albright, 18, of Winder, Georgia, booked into the Barrow County Jail
- Steven Michael Yanizeski, 28, of Evans, booked into the Columbia County Jail
- Chaunansheng Fu, 28, of Doraville, Georgia, booked into the DeKalb County Jail
- Steven Ray Mendenhall, 53, of Macon, booked into the Bibb County Jail
- Elvis Beltran Pineda, 25, of Alpharetta, booked into the Forsyth County Jail
- Richard Jason Lowery, 43, of Augusta, booked into the Richmond County Jail
- Patrick Dulebohn, 43, of Savannah, booked into the Chatham County Jail
- Dennis Farmer, 65, of Tifton, booked into the Tift County Jail
- Christian Havanki, 29, of Pooler, booked into the Chatham County Jail
- Thomas Walker, 37, of Helen, booked into the White County Jail
- Derrick Long, 25, of Kingsland, booked into the Camden County Jail
- Jonathan Sells, 39, of Cleveland, booked into the White County Jail
- Todd Shelton, 61, of Acworth, booked into the Cherokee County Jail
- Timothy Grimsley, 36, of Tifton, booked into the Tift County Jail
More arrests are possible. Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation can call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870 or report the tip online.
Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling 1-800-597-8477, submitting a tip online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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