In a child predator crackdown called “Operation Phantom Whisper,” officials say they were able to arrest 12 suspects.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Twelve people were arrested after the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office wrapped up a three-day undercover operation targeting suspected child predators.
The effort, known as Operation Phantom Whisper, was conducted in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies. Authorities said 11 of the 12 suspects traveled to meet with someone they believed was a 14-year-old girl, with the intent to engage in sexual activity. All were arrested on various felony charges.
ICAC investigators “chatted” online and posed as underage girls. When suspects arrived at agreed-upon locations, they were arrested.
“The safety and well-being of our children has always been and will always be a top priority,” said Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds in the news release. The arrests of these individuals sends a strong message that we will not tolerate those who prey on our most vulnerable population.”
- Sudhakar Gogireddy, 34, from Alpharetta
- Nivell McKindley, 25, from Chadbourn, North Carolina
- Jonathan Wayne Brian Brackett, 33, from Rome
- Daylon Emil Figueroa, 29, from Cartersville
- Jonathan Torres Nunez, 25, from Canton
- Nicholas Ryan Robinson, 40, from Blairsville
- Steven A. Davis, 36, from Acworth
- Kenneth Soto-Jaimes, 22, from Rossville
- Jose Fernando Salgado, 40, from Griffin
- Michael Vang, 31, from Duluth
- Timothy Morice Drawdy, 49, from Canton
- Hunter William Bowman-Daniel, 22, from Canton
Operations took place through a partnership between the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations – Atlanta, the Gwinnett County Police, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the Grovetown Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
