Major Georgia ICAC Sting Arrests 11 for Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation

WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga.—A four-day undercover sting operation targeting online child predators, dubbed “Operation H.O.O.K.” (Hands Off Our Kids), resulted in the arrest of 11 individuals on numerous charges, including human trafficking for sexual servitude.

The proactive investigation, which ran from October 2 to October 6, 2025, was coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the GBI, and the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office. The operation aimed to identify and arrest individuals who communicate with and arrange to meet children for sex.

Arrest Details and Charges

The 11 arrested suspects range in age from 24 to 56 and traveled from Georgia and Tennessee with the intent to meet who they believed was a minor. Seven electronic devices were seized and processed for evidence.

Of the 31 cases established during the operation, nine led to arrests after the perpetrators attempted to meet an undercover investigator posing as a child.

Nine of the 11 individuals were charged with Human Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking of a Person for Sexual Servitude (OCGA 16-5-46 or 16-4-1). Those arrested include:

Agency Collaboration

“Operation H.O.O.K.” involved extensive planning and the collaboration of 14 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that are partners in the Georgia ICAC Task Force, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Whitfield County Sheriff Darren J. Pierce emphasized the commitment to safety: “The safety of Children in Whitfield County is something I take personally. I promise that if you are in this county and plan to prey on a child, you will be arrested.”