Putnam County Man Charged with the Sexual Exploitation of Children

Eatonton, GA (September 21, 2022) – On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, James Collins, Jr., age 45, of Putnam County, GA, was arrested for six counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit. The GBI CEACC Unit began an investigation into Collins’ online activity after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the possible online distribution of child sexual abuse material. This investigation led to a search warrant of Collins’ home and his subsequent criminal charges. The GBI CEACC unit was aided in the search warrant execution of Collins’ home and in the arrest of Collins by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Collins was taken to the Putnam County Jail.

This 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 trade of child sexual abuse material. The ICAC Program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, 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. Anonymous 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.