Men from Oconee, Madison and Barrow counties arrested in online child sex sting

From left to right): Dwayne Larry Drake, 38, of Hull, Mohammed Sadiq, 30, of Winder, Billy Cason Elder, 34, of Watkinsville and Jaquan Deavonte Clark, 23, of Braselton. The first three suspects have been arrested, while Clark remained at large as of Thursday morning. Photos: Hall County Sheriff's Office

By Joe Johnson

Suspects from Oconee, Madison and Barrow

counties were recently arrested as part of an online child sex sting in Hall County.

Last weekend, agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Hall County Sheriff's Office and other agencies took part in the sting, dubbed "Operation Good Shepherd."

During the two-day operation on Jan. 12 and 13, undercover investigators from Hall and the GBI's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Floyd County Police Department made dozens of online contacts through social media platforms.

"Four of those who communicated with undercover investigators traveled to a location in Hall County to meet with persons they believed to be under the age of 16 for the purpose of having sex," Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesperson B.J. Williams said.

According to Williams, law enforcement officers took three of the suspects into custody on site, while the fourth arrived at the scene and then fled.

Investigators arrested 38-year-old Dwayne Larry Drake of Hull and charged him with trafficking a person for sexual servitude, sexual exploitation of a minor, and electronic exploitation of a minor.

They also took into custody 34-year-old Billy Cason Elder of Watkinsville and 30-year-old Mohammed Sadiq of Winder, both on charges of electronic exploitation of a minor.

The fourth suspect, identified as 23-year-old Jaquan Deavonte Clark of Braselton, is wanted for electronic exploitation of a minor. Investigators took out a warrant for his arrest.

Drake, Sadiq, and Elder were booked into the Hall County Jail, and Williams said the investigation remained active.