Franklin County Man Arrested for the Sexual Exploitation of Children

Martin, GA (March 15, 2022) – On Friday, March 11, 2022, Howell Tim Scott, age 49, of Franklin County, Georgia, was arrested and charged with three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material) and three counts Sexual Exploitation of Children (Distribution 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 Scott’s online activity after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the online possession of images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This investigation led to a search warrant at Scott’s residence, where digital devices were searched and seized, and Scott was subsequently arrested. The GBI CEACC Unit was assisted in the execution of the search warrant by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.   

Scott was transported to the Franklin County Jail upon his arrest.

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 sexual abuse material, 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.