Month-long undercover operation targeting online child predators results in ten arrests
An undercover Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigation culminated on Wednesday, November 27, with the arrest of the final suspect in Operation Good Shepherd, a concentrated effort targeting online child predators.
47-year-old Jason Noel Lingerfelt of Cleveland was arrested by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. He’s charged with four counts of enticing a child online. Lingerfelt is one of ten people arrested and charged in connection with the month-long undercover operation.
Personnel with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division began the investigation in late October, a news release states. Investigators participated in online communication with adults who believed they were communicating with minors. Investigators interacted with subjects through various mobile apps, including social media platforms and text messaging.
Individuals identified in the operation range in age from 24 to 47 and live in Georgia cities stretching from Cleveland to Lilburn. The offenses included but were not limited to offers of money to a child (an investigator posing as a child) to perform sexual acts, sending obscene images, and describing sex acts. Two of the suspects are charged with human trafficking.
Law enforcement began arresting people in connection with the investigation on Thursday, November 21.
The Floyd County Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office made one arrest each in the operation in their respective jurisdictions. Hall County Investigators made the remaining eight.
In addition to Lingerfelt, the other suspects are identified and charged as follows:
Patrick C. Reese, 32, of Flowery Branch – Arrested Nov. 21 in Floyd County by the Floyd County Police Department
- Sexual exploitation of children
- Aggravated child molestation, criminal attempt
Alan Alberto Rojas, 24, of Lilburn – Arrested Nov. 22 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Child molestation, criminal attempt
- Aggravated child molestation, criminal attempt
- Obscene material, furnish electronically to minor
- Enticing a child online
- Human trafficking
Cynthia Lynn Michelle Lloyd, 25, of Gainesville – Arrested Nov. 23 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Prostitution
Patricia Erica Burt, 37, of Cumming – Arrested Nov. 23 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Prostitution
- Human trafficking
Michael Ryan Jewell, 35, of Buford – Arrested Nov. 25 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and released from the Hall County Jail on Nov. 26 on $5,700 bond
- Sexual exploitation of children
Christopher Alan Hoover, 33, of Jasper – Arrested Nov. 26 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Enticing a child online x 5
- Sexual exploitation of children
- Pandering by compulsion
Colt David Clemmer, 33, of Talmo – Arrested Nov. 26 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Sexual exploitation of children
Matthew David Ingram, 34, of Gainesville – Arrested Nov. 26 by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office
- Sexual exploitation of children x 3
William David Gowdy, 40, of Cumming – Arrested Nov. 26 in Forsyth County by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
- Sexual exploitation of children x 3
- Electronic enticement of a minor
Operation Good Shepherd was carried out in collaboration with the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Floyd County Police Department.
“I’m very proud of the efforts of our own Criminal Investigations Division in heading up and executing this operation,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said. “I’m confident the hard work of our team and partner agencies in this effort will make the community safer for our children.”
While the operation has concluded, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office says each case remains under investigation and additional charges are possible.
