Habersham County authorities say information from the public helped lead to the arrest of an alleged child molester.
Late last week, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office requested the public’s help locating Shannon Robert Burton. Initially, deputies said Burton was “armed and dangerous,” but later walked that back after zeroing in on his location.
“Help from the public revealed that Burton was in a medical facility seeking treatment,” says Habersham County Public Information Officer Rob Moore.
Deputies arrested Burton upon his release from that medical facility on Saturday, February 25. They booked him at the Habersham County Detention Center in Clarkesville.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for the 35-year-old Mt. Airy man last December. According to that warrant, Burton is accused of molesting a juvenile on multiple occasions between January 2018 and September 2022. Investigators say the alleged victim was under the age of 16 and was known to Burton.
Jail records show Burton was previously jailed in Habersham County in 2018 on a DUI charge and in 2020 on littering and drug-related charges. He’s now charged with one count of child molestation.
A magistrate judge set Burton’s bond at $16,600. As of Monday morning, February 27, he remained in jail.
