Hoschton, GA (January 13, 2023) – On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, Patrick John Agnew, age 58, of Jackson County, GA, was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of children by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit. This arrest was the result of an investigation into Agnew’s online activity conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gainesville Office and the GBI. An investigation into Agnew’s online activity began after the FBI received a cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the possible online possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.  This investigation led to a search of Agnew’s residence and his subsequent arrest.  The search of Agnew’s home was conducted by the FBI Gainesville Office, the GBI CEACC Unit and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Agnew was taken to the Jackson County Jail upon his arrest.

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 or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org. 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.