DeKalb County man arrested for multiple counts of child sexual exploitation
A Dekalb County man is in jail on multiple charges of child sexual exploitation.
Samuel Tripp Pickens Cook III, 54, was arrested for 10 counts of child sexual exploitation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
“They are horrific,” said GBI Special Agent in Charge Brian Johnston.
Johnston said that’s really the only way he can describe the cases his team has been investigating. “These are images of children being sexually abused,” said Johnston.
Johnston said they started investigating Cook’s online activity after getting a tip. GBI agents then executed a search warrant at Cook’s home, where they recovered numerous electronic devices.
TRENDING STORIES:
3 hurt, I-285 shut down after crash causes truck carrying beer to catch fire under DeKalb bridge
26 alleged gang members indicted after series of celebrity home invasions across metro Atlanta
Adult at Gwinnett County elementary school tests positive for monkeypox
“In this particular case, we had 10 counts total. Eight of those counts were actually knowingly possessing child sexual abuse material and two of those counts were actually distributing that material to a third party,” Johnston said
Johnston said although these cases are difficult to investigate, it’s the help from the public that helps them catch these criminals. “Last calendar year in 2021, we got 14,922 cyber tips. We have seen a substantial increase every year for the past seven or eight years. This year, for the first six months of this year, we have seen over 10,000 cyber tips.”
He said it’s important for parents to pay extra attention to their kids, especially on the internet. “They have to be monitored. I’m not saying keep your child away from it, but I’m saying have a healthy conversation with your child about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate on the internet,” Johnston said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
