Monroe police say a 30-year-old man is behind bars after officers hit two homes with search warrants and found sexually explicit material involving juveniles. The suspect is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, and investigators say their work on the case is far from over.
According to Monroe police, officers served search warrants around 5 p.m. Thursday at residences on Towler Street and Heritage Ridge Drive after receiving an Internet Crimes Against Children tip from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. During those searches, investigators reported finding sexually explicit material involving juveniles and arrested 30-year-old Brandon Xavier Towler on a sexual exploitation of a minor charge. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jeremy Caldwell at 678-522-1236 or JCaldwell@MonroeGA, police said, according to Atlanta News First.
How the tip reached investigators
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation oversees the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force and often fields CyberTipline reports before handing leads to local departments, as recent releases from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation show. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children runs the CyberTipline, which gathers reports from tech companies and the public, then routes potential leads to the right law-enforcement agencies.
What the charge means in Georgia
Under Georgia law, sexual exploitation of children (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100) makes it a crime to create, distribute or possess visual media that shows minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Penalties depend on the specific conduct involved, and prosecutors can bring separate counts tied to individual images in some situations, according to Justia…