The Effingham County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Treutlen County Sheriff's Office, arrested a Soperton man on child pornography charges Thursday.
The Effingham County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating Donald Snyder, 61, two weeks ago after learning he was downloading and sharing child porn, according to ECSO spokesman Detective David Ehsanipoor.
Effingham County and Treutlen County deputies arrested Snyder at his home on Second Street in Soperton. Investigators seized a computer from his residence that contained "hundreds of images and videos of child pornography of children as young as 4 years old," Ehsanipoor said.
Effingham deputies transported Snyder back to the Effingham County Jail on Thursday afternoon, where he was charged with sexual exploitation of children.
Effingham deputies also arrested David Thompson, 31, of Springfield at his Oakwood Drive home on child porn charges on Jan. 28. Thompson is being held in the Effingham County Jail on charges of sexual exploitation of children.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office is a member of the Georgia Internet Crimes against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force helps state and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative response to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or other computer technology to sexually exploit children. The program is composed of 61 regional task force agencies across the nation and is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
“Protecting our children is one of the highest priorities at the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and we will continue to pursue these cases in the future with ICAC,” said Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie.