The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit has arrested and charged 20 individuals this year in cases involving child exploitation crimes.

According to a statement that the FCSO released on its Facebook page, the HTCU arrested 58 individuals in 2019 on charges of possession, distribution, manufacturing, producing and computer pornography; child exploitation; human trafficking; and other “sexual based offenses.” 

FCSO officers have arrested another 20 individuals so far this year on the same type of charges, “despite the challenges of COVID-19,” with eight of those arrests occurring in just the last two months, according to the statement. 

All of those arrested in the past two months have been charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of children. Seven of the eight arrested are from Cumming and one is from Gainesville. Those arrested range in age from 15 to 70 years old.

The HTCU investigates and analyzes computer evidence linked to cases involving child exploitation crimes, according to the statement. They work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on investigations relating to the possession of child sexual abuse images.