Putnam County Man Arrested for Child Exploitation Following GBI Investigation

EATONTON, Georgia – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested 38-year-old Corey Hickey of Eatonton, Putnam County, on three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children.

In October 2025, the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit began investigating Hickey after receiving a Cyber Tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding potential online production, possession, and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The investigation led to Hickey’s arrest.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI’s Milledgeville Investigative Office, and the GBI Cyber Crime Center assisted in the case. Hickey was booked into the Putnam County Jail.

This arrest is part of the ongoing efforts of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which works to identify individuals involved in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The ICAC program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, addresses the increasing use of the internet by children and the growing activity of online predators.

Anyone with information about child exploitation is urged to contact the GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870 or submit a report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at Cybertipline.org. Anonymous tips can also be submitted at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.