Lavonia, Franklin County Man Arrested for the Sexual Exploitation of Children

Lavonia, GA (July 19, 2021) – On Tuesday, July 13, 2021, Devin Watkins, age 20, was arrested and charged with three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material) and two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material) by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit. The GBI CEACC Unit began an investigation into Watkins’ online activity after receiving a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the online possession and distribution of images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The investigation led to a search and seizure of Watkins’ electronic devices and Watkins’ subsequent arrest. Watkins was transported to the Franklin County Jail upon his arrest. The GBI was assisted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office with this investigation.

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 and Computer Crimes 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.