Eatonton Man Charged with 8 Counts of Child Exploitation Following GBI Investigation

EATONTON, GA — A 55-year-old Putnam County man has been arrested and charged with eight felony counts of child sexual exploitation following a state investigation into online child abuse material, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced Wednesday.

Jason Marshall Hicks, 55, of Eatonton, was taken into custody on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. He has been booked into the Putnam County Jail.

NCMEC CyberTipline Triggers Investigation

The criminal investigation was launched in May 2026 by the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit after agents received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The tip alerted state investigators to online activity involving the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) connected to Hicks.

Residential Search Warrant and Arrest

Following digital forensic tracking, GBI agents obtained a search warrant for Hicks’ residence in Putnam County.

On July 29, investigators executed the warrant at his home, recovering evidence that resulted in Hicks being formally charged with eight counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children. The search and apprehension were conducted with assistance from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI Cyber Crime Center.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the GBI CEACC Unit at 404-270-8870 or submit a tip 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.