Local men face federal charges in FBI child sex abuse investigation
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Monday, the United States Justice Department announced the results of “Operation Restore Justice,” a child sex abuse operation.
Authorities say under the operation, more than 205 people were arrested and 115 children were rescued nationwide last week.
Man wanted for elder exploitation arrested in Florida, returned to Augusta
A man wanted in Richmond County for charges involving the exploitation of his step-grandfather was arrested in Florida.
On Monday, we learned that two individuals were arrested in the Southern District of Georgia and both have been charged federally, according to the Justice Department.
Michael Alexander James, 44, of Waynesboro, and Martin Lindner, 52, of Augusta, were both charged in newly unsealed federal indictments with one count of Possession of Child Pornography, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
Ga. woman accused of severely burning boyfriend with hot chicken grease
LaGrange police said they arrested a woman for allegedly burning her boyfriend with hot chicken grease during an argument Tuesday.
Last week, the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office reported that they charged nine people in the state of Georgia:
- Five from Atlanta
- Three out of the Augusta area
- Two from Rome, Ga., area
FBI officials say the operation lasted from April 28 to May 1.
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors and child sex trafficking.
“FBI Atlanta remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard children from those who seek to harm society’s most vulnerable,” said Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “However, let there be no confusion — this week’s operation is just one chapter in a relentless, year-round effort that our dedicated agents are fully invested in. We will continue to leverage every tool and resource at our disposal to track down child predators and ensure they face justice.”
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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