GBI: Henry County man arrested while downloading child porn

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. - This week, Henry County Police along with the GBI raided a home and arrested an IT specialist as he was allegedly downloading child porn. He was already under investigation for child molestation. The download just happened as police and state agents were at his home to serve a search warrant.

Under arrest is 47-year-old Richard Hayes of the Lake Dow area. Henry County Police and cops from Tybee Island were investigating claims that Hayes had molested a young teenager. Police say their investigation had uncovered startling new information that Hayes had posed as a teenage boy on social media and attempted to entice girls into sex acts and child pornography.

Police said the girls had no idea the true identity of the person they were communicating with online.

“I don’t know if he uses a photo, but he uses the name of someone else and pretends to be that person, acting as a teen,” said Captain Joey Smith of Henry County Police Department. 

Police said the good news was their investigation of these bogus social media accounts had revealed so far that although Hayes had made internet contact with underage girls, nothing had happened. Police with the help of the GBI were still going through Hayes computer and they said they have found other disturbing evidence.

“He had child pornography on his computer,” Smith said.

Hayes was facing numerous child sex charges and was  being held in the Henry County Jail without bond. In Henry County