Dearing Man Arrested Following GBI Child Molestation and Incest Investigation

DEARING, GA — A 45-year-old Dearing man has been arrested and charged following a joint investigation into child exploitation by local and state law enforcement.

Joseph Addison was taken into custody on Thursday, June 11, 2026, by agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and deputies from the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office. He faces charges of Child Molestation, Aggravated Child Molestation, and Incest.

The case began on Monday, June 8, 2026, when the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office formally requested the GBI to assist with an active child molestation investigation. Following subsequent investigative steps over the next three days, detectives established probable cause to secure arrest warrants for Addison.

Following his arrest, Addison was booked into the McDuffie County Jail.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Once the GBI concludes its inquiry, the completed case file will be forwarded to the Toombs Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Authorities are asking anyone with information relevant to this case to contact the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Thomson at 706-595-2575 or the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office at 706-595-2040. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), visiting the GBI’s online tip submission page, or downloading the “See Something, Send Something” mobile application.