The Habersham County Grand Jury on Monday indicted twelve people, including five charged with sex crimes against children.
Caleb Workman
Jurors indicted Caleb Brady Workman on three counts of aggravated child molestation and two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Workman, of Cornelia, is accused of sexually assaulting two girls under the age of 16 over a decade ago. The girls’ mothers reported the abuse to Habersham County Sheriff’s investigators in April 2021 after their daughters told them what happened, officials say.
The girls said they were forced to videotape the sexual abuse.
Habersham County deputies arrested Workman in December 2021 upon his release from prison in Millen, Georgia, where he served time after being convicted in White County for possessing child pornography.
Peggy Sue Mize
On March 7, the Habersham County Grand Jury indicted Peggy Sue Mize of Gainesville on two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of child molestation.
Mize is accused of asking a 5-year-old relative to take nude photos of her.
The alleged incident happened at a residence in Clarkesville sometime between October 1, 2020, and January 15, 2021, according to the arrest warrant. It came to light this past December after the child told a counselor about it.
According to the incident report, the child also told the counselor Mize had sex with a man in front of her and that Mize allegedly gave the child drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes to keep quiet.
Edwin Huizar
In another high-profile sex abuse case, grand jurors indicted Alto resident Edwin Huizar on five counts including rape, aggravated sodomy, sexual exploitation of children, and child molestation. The grand jury also indicted him for allegedly selling marijuana.
According to the arrest warrants, Huizar allegedly molested a 13-year-old girl and “traded marijuana for explicit images from the victim.” The rape and aggravated sodomy charge involved a second female victim.
The alleged assaults occurred in January and November 2021. The victims’ family notified Habersham County Sheriff’s investigators in December of last year.
Other indictments
Prosecutors also secured an indictment against Matthew Joseph Mirisola on three counts of sexual exploitation of children. Mirisola is accused of possessing child pornography.
John Michael Lumpkin was indicted on three counts of aggravated sodomy and two counts of aggravated child molestation for the alleged abuse of a girl under the age of 10. Prosecutors say the abuse happened sometime between July 1 and December 30, 2016.
The Habersham County Grand Jury on March 7, 2022, also handed down indictments on the following:
- Jeramy Ray Chastain and Salvador Villagomez on two counts each of aggravated battery. The two are accused of beating Jarrett Thomas on September 4, 2021, leaving him with a fractured jaw and eye socket.
- Jackson Samuel Luzier on five counts including fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, obstruction of an officer, DUI (alcohol, less safe), reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license.
- Bishawn Nyquial Crawford on one count of aggravated assault for allegedly swinging a knife at a woman.
- Pascual Manuel Matias on two counts including fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and DUI (drugs, less safe).
- Quinton Aaron Blackwell on three counts including aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and obstruction of an officer.
- Kenneth Clark Stewart on three counts including aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and possession o a controlled substance.
All of the defendants in these cases have pleaded not guilty.
