Newton County Man Arrested for the Sexual Exploitation of Children

Covington, GA (May 24, 2021) – On Thursday, May 20, 2021, Newton County resident, Cesar Valenzuela, age 19, was arrested by the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit and charged with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, including the possession of child pornography.

The GBI CEACC Unit began an investigation into Valenzuela’s online activity after receiving multiple cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating Valenzuela was uploading child sexual abuse material using popular online platforms. On Thursday, May 20, 2021, the GBI’s CEACC Unit, with assistance from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at the residence of Cesar Valenzuela. A search of Valenzuela’s residence and the preview of electronic devices produced evidence that led to the arrest of Valenzuela on the same date. He was taken into custody and booked into the Newton County Jail.

This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed within the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, to identify those involved in the child pornography trade. The ICAC Program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Unit at 404-270-8870.

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.