12 arrested for obscene internet contact with children in Peach County sting
A dozen men were arrested and charged last week for attempting to commit sexual acts with minors, according to a news release by the Peach County Sheriff’s Office and the Byron Police Department.
Law enforcement, through an operation addressing child exploitation, established “an online presence on multiple internet platforms with the intention of arresting individuals that were attempting to commit sex acts with ... minors,” the release said. The operation led to the arrest of 12 men.
Those arrested include:
- Dennis Jacques, 65, from Lizella
- Antwan Devereux, 32, from Macon
- Avery Simmons, 32, from Rincon
- Shedrick Smith, 33, from Warner Robins
- Mikel Williams, 44, from Warner Robins
- Timothy Newman, 49, from Milledgeville
- Yohannas Hollis, 29, from Perry
- Joshua Ball, 36, from Dry Branch
- Eddie Torres, 24, from Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Derrick Cooper, 33, from Macon
- Malik Boykins, 29, from Perry
- Amarion Vance, 19, from Warner Robins
All of them were charged with obscene internet contact with a child and use of a computer service to seduce, solicit, lure or entice a child to commit illegal acts, the release said.
Peach County Sheriff’s Office and the Byron Police Department were trained by the Covenant Rescue Group, which was founded in June 2019 by Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL, and his wife, who “saw the lack of skills and funding to properly rescue victims and arrest criminals involved in human trafficking and child exploitation,” the release said.
