Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators arrested a Flowery Branch man on Wednesday, April 26, on 1,211 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at Joshua Rivers’ residence on Spring Lake Drive, seizing approximately 15 electronic devices. Investigators arrested Rivers, 40, at sheriff’s office headquarters following an interview.
According to initial details, Rivers had hundreds of images of child pornography saved to multiple electronic devices in his home. He committed the offenses generally during an eight-month period between Sept. 1, 2022, and the day of his arrest.
The investigation began on April 13, 2023, when law enforcement received a cybertip about Rivers’ online activity from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Following Wednesday’s search of the home, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACCU) processed electronics seized from his residence.
The HCSO and Georgia ICAC Task Force continue to investigate the case, and additional charges are possible, officials say.
Rivers remains in the Hall County Jail without bond.
