Acworth man sentenced to 20 years after tricking girls into sending nude photos

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Billy Calhoun, a 32-year-old resident of Acworth, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for producing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography on March 17, 2023. The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County Police Department.

Calhoun's conviction stems from a disturbing pattern of behavior in which he deceived multiple minor girls he met online by pretending to be a teenage boy. Under this false identity, he convinced these young girls to send him sexually explicit videos and images.

The case came to the attention of law enforcement in February 2020 when the Cobb County Police Department received a report from a local middle school regarding the exploitation of a teenage student. The 14-year-old girl had sent nude photos to an individual she believed to be a 16-year-old boy named "Zack," whom she had met on Instagram. It was later revealed that "Zack" was, in fact, Billy Calhoun, who had assumed a false identity.

Calhoun confessed to his deception during a post-arrest interview with CCPD detectives, admitting to receiving sexually explicit videos from the young girl. Further investigation led to the discovery of at least three other minor girls who had been similarly victimized by Calhoun online, along with the recovery of numerous images and videos of child pornography.

As part of his sentence, Calhoun will be required to register as a sex offender.

This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. It is led by U.S. Attorney's Offices across the United States and aims to marshal federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For additional details, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.