Fr. Co. Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Franklin County man on charges of Sexual Exploitation of Children.

GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said 49-year old Howell Tim Scott of Martin was in possession of child sexual abuse material and was responsible for the distribution of child sexual abuse material.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation into Scott’s online activity after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the online possession of images depicting child sexual abuse material.

This investigation led to a search warrant at Scott’s residence, where digital devices were searched and seized, and Scott was subsequently arrested.

The GBI CEACC Unit was assisted in the execution of the search warrant by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Scott was arrested on Friday, March 11, and taken to the Franklin County Jail upon his arrest.

Miles said the investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed within the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, to identify those involved in the child pornography trade.

The program was created by the U.S. Department of Justice and was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870.

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.