Eatonton Man Arrested on 6 Counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children

Eatonton, GA – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has arrested a 42-year-old Eatonton resident on six felony counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children following an investigation into alleged possession of child sexual abuse material online.

Matthew Marrero Garcia, 42, of Putnam County, was taken into custody Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at his place of employment in Baldwin County. He was initially booked into the Baldwin County Jail before being transferred to the Putnam County Jail.

The investigation began in February 2026 when the GBI Child Exploitation and Abuse Coordination Center (CEACC) Unit—also known as the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit—received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The report flagged suspicious online activity involving the possession of known child sexual abuse material linked to Garcia.

After further investigative work, GBI agents obtained and executed a search warrant at Garcia’s residence in Putnam County. The arrest and search were supported by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Eatonton Police Department, and the GBI Cyber Crime Center.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation CEACC Unit at 404-270-8870 or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at Cybertipline.org. Anonymous 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.