75-year-old Georgian arrested for child sexual exploitation

FOLKSTON – The GBI has arrested a 75-year-old Georgia man for sexual exploitation of children.

Release:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit arrested and charged Thomas McKeown, 75, of Charlton County, Georgia, with three counts of sexual exploitation of children on Tuesday June 4, 2024.

The GBI CEACC unit began an investigation into McKeown's online activity after receiving a Cyber ​​Tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the possible online possession and distribution of child abuse material. sexual abuse of children. This investigation led to a search warrant at McKeown's home and his arrest. The GBI Southeast Regional Drug Enforcement Office and the Charlton County Sheriff's Office assisted the GBI CEACC Unit in the execution of this search warrant.

McKeown was booked into the Coffee County Jail.

This investigation is part of the ongoing efforts of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed within the GBI's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, to identify individuals involved in the trade in child pornography. The ICAC program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, was developed in response to the growing number of children and adolescents using the Internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse materials, and increased activity in line of predators seeking unsupervised contact with underage victims. .

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation Unit at 404-270-8870 or make a report through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.