Gwinnett Deputies Arrest Registered Sex Offender Following Jail Investigation and Licensing Probe

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A registered sex offender is back in custody after Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office investigators uncovered new alleged violations tied to false identification and the operation of an unlicensed massage business.

On January 7, 2026, deputies arrested Tarek Mentouri following an operation led by the Sheriff’s Office Jail Investigation Unit and the Trafficking and Child Exploitation (TRACE) Unit.

Mentouri was already known to investigators. In November 2025, he was arrested after allegedly using false identification to request video visitation with a female inmate housed at the Gwinnett County Jail. He was charged at that time with unlawfully possessing or using a fraudulent identification document and later released on bond.

Investigators say the case continued to develop in December, when they received information that Mentouri was advertising massage therapy services online across multiple platforms. A follow-up investigation determined he was allegedly operating without a valid massage therapy license and had failed to properly register his employment, a requirement under Georgia law for convicted sex offenders.

As a result of the investigation, Mentouri now faces multiple new charges, including two counts of unlawful advertisement or practice of massage therapy, unlicensed massage therapy, and failure to register as a sex offender or comply with registration requirements by providing false information.

Mentouri remains in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond. Authorities say the investigation is still active, and additional information may be released as it becomes available.

Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to submit a tip by calling 770-619-6655 or visiting GwinnettCountySheriff.org.