Child porn found on Banks County man's electronic device, GBI says

HABERSHAM COUNTY - A 34-year-old man from Banks County, Steven Kyle Caudell, has been arrested on nine counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children after an investigation conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit. The arrest was made on April 30 after the GBI received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about Caudell’s internet activity related to him possessing child sexual abuse material.

The GBI agents seized an electronic device belonging to Caudell during the investigation, which was later forensically processed by GBI digital forensic investigators. The processing revealed that Caudell possessed child sexual abuse material. Initially, he was charged in Stephens County, but the venue for the charges was later determined to be in Habersham County. On April 2,Caudell was booked into the Habersham County jail.

The GBI investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to identify those involved in the child pornography trade. The ICAC Program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

The GBI is urging anyone with information about these cases or other cases of child exploitation to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Unit at 404-270-8870. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.