Five Jailed, Including Two Charged with Sex Trafficking, After GBI Smashes South Georgia Child Abuse Ring
WAYCROSS, GA — A massive, multi-county child sexual abuse and sex trafficking investigation has led to the arrest of five individuals after detectives uncovered a sweeping network of exploitation involving at least eight young victims.
The joint operation, announced on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Ware County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), spans multiple jurisdictions across South Georgia and South Carolina. Investigators have already identified eight victims between the ages of 3 and 13, and warn that more victims may still be uncovered.
Initial Arrest Unlocks Multi-County Abuse Network
The complex investigation was set in motion in early June 2026, when Ware County deputies arrested 42-year-old Joel Christopher Heath of Blackshear, Georgia, following an investigation into child molestation.
While auditing evidence seized during Heath’s initial arrest, detectives discovered data indicating a much larger, organized ring of abuse. WCSO uncovered evidence of several additional victims—all age 13 and under—and determined the crimes crossed county lines into Ware, Charlton, Clinch, and Bacon counties.
Recognizing the interstate and multi-jurisdictional scale of the abuse, the Clinch and Charlton County Sheriff’s Offices formally requested the GBI to intervene. The state bureau’s subsequent investigation led to the identification and arrest of four additional co-defendants.
Five Charged in Trafficking and Abuse Ring
The multi-agency sweep resulted in the arrests of the following individuals, who face a barrage of severe felony charges:
- Joel Christopher Heath (42, Blackshear, GA): Charged with Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, Child Exploitation, and Child Molestation. (Booked into the Ware County Jail)
- Theresa Bryant (55, Alma, GA): Charged with Sex Trafficking, Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, and First-Degree Cruelty to a Child. (Booked into the Bacon County Jail)
- Betty Sue Corbitt (60, Waycross, GA): Charged with Child Exploitation. (Booked into the Ware County Jail)
- Elizabeth Delk (48, Homerville, GA): Charged with Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, Child Exploitation, and Child Molestation. (Booked into the Ware County Jail)
- Amber Lynn Hult (45, West Columbia, SC): Charged with Sex Trafficking, Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, First-Degree Cruelty to a Child, and Incest. (Booked into the Lexington County Detention Center in South Carolina, awaiting extradition to Georgia)
Active Investigation Notice: Because the victims span several jurisdictions and are as young as 3 years old, the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Douglas is urging anyone with information regarding these suspects or other potential victims to call 912-389-4103 immediately.
