"Operation Byte Down," a statewide law enforcement effort, led to the arrest of 17 people for sexual exploitation of children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Tuesday. Two of those arrested were local men.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has arrested and charged Joseph Murphy, 40, of Bainbridge, with sexual exploitation of children. In Oct. 2024, the GBI began an investigation into Murphy’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 sexual abuse material.

A statewide child exploitation operation dubbed “Operation Byte Down” has led to the arrest of 17 people across Georgia.According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit,

Two Tifton men are behind bars after A Georgia Bureau of Investigation operation to combat the sexual exploitation of children. Timothy Grimsley, 36, and Dennis Farmer, 65, are charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children and other related offenses,