PEACHTREE
Man accused of sex crimes
Local resident Corey Benjamin Sneed, 39, has been charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
These charges stem from his alleged possession and distribution of material depicting minors in sexually explicit situations, according to a release from Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith.
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The investigation began when the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received cyber tips from Google and MeetMe, which reported that Sneed had uploaded suspected child sexual abuse material. The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and a detective with the sheriff’s office reviewed the tip and confirmed that the images met the criteria for charges under North Carolina law.
On Aug. 15, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office – assisted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation’s Computer Crimes Unit – executed a search warrant at Sneed’s residence resulting in the seizure of electronic devices, including several cell phones. Sneed was interviewed by detectives during the search.
Forensic analysis conducted by the sheriff’s office identified multiple files on the devices containing child sexual abuse material. Based on this evidence, warrants were obtained against Sneed on Aug. 20, and he was later taken into custody without incident at his residence.
Sneed is at the Cherokee County Detention Center under two bonds, one of $100,000 secured and the other being “no bond,” both set by a magistrate. The sheriff’s office urges parents and guardians to remain vigilant about their children’s online activities.
Details: Visit missingkids.org/home.
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.
2nd drowning in last month
A Woodstock man accidentally drowned in Lake Chatuge in the early morning hours of Aug. 16 while vacationing at a family friend’s house in the Hidden Valley Road area of the county, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division.
The Towns County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that the drowning victim was Brek Green, 25, of Cherokee County, Ga.
Cpl. Jared Wood, a local game warden with Georgia DNR, said the young man had been hanging out with a friend, also from out of town and swimming at the dock of the home when the drowning occurred around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 16.
This is the second lake drowning tragedy investigated by DNR in the last month; a 5-year-old boy vacationing with his family at a rental property off Sunnyside Road drowned on July 15 after wandering off.
MURPHY
Citizens will talk to sheriff
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the sheriff’s office, 577 Regal St., to measure community interest in forming a citizen’s auxiliary unit.
The goal for this unit is to be support for the sheriff’s office, regardless of who the elected sheriff is, according to a release. The unit will form a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, establish an internal governance board and serve solely in a volunteer capacity, with no law enforcement powers nor authority.
The sheriff’s office will provide a liaison to work with the auxiliary in order to help advance the common goals of the organizations and promote shared values.
HANGING DOG
Coffee With a Cop on Friday
The next Coffee With a Cop will be held from 8-10 a.m. Friday at Hanging Dog General Store, 2345 Hanging Dog Road.
Everyone is invited to join their neighbors and local law enforcement officers for coffee and conversation.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown. The Towns County Herald contributed to this report.