NORTHEAST GEORGIA — Two Northeast Georgia men are charged with sexually exploiting children following separate investigations by the GBI.
Hart County arrest
The GBI arrested 45-year-old Robert Kenyon Mercer of Canon in Hart County on April 1 and charged him with three counts of unlawful surveillance and three counts of sexual exploitation of children.
According to the GBI, the investigation began in February after the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit received a request for assistance from the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. That request stemmed from five CyberTipline reports submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Investigators tracked the case to Georgia, leading to Mercer’s arrest, the GBI said. He was booked into the Hart County Jail.
The Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, and Anderson County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Banks County arrest
In a separate case, 34-year-old Hamilton Cuadros of Commerce in Banks County was arrested following an investigation that began last November.
The GBI says the case started after a CyberTipline report indicated possible online possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. Investigators executed a search warrant at Cuadros’ home on April 1, which led to his arrest, the GBI said.
Cuadros is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of children and was booked into the Habersham County Jail.
The Banks County Sheriff’s Office, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, and the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Athens assisted in that case.
How to report tips
Authorities encourage anyone with information about these or other child sex crimes to contact the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870.
Tips may also be submitted through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org, by calling 1-800-597-TIPS, or through the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.
Authorities say both investigations remain active and ongoing.
