Woman charged with accessory and failure to report crime
Brasstown – An investigation that included the interception of digital evidence has led to the arrest of a local man accused of multiple child sexual offense charges, according to Clay County Sheriff Mark Buchanan.
Officers also arrested a woman who is accused of having knowledge of the alleged crimes but did not report it.
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Edward Arthur Hall, 40, was arrested July 19 on three counts of indecent liberties with a child, three counts of sexual battery, three counts of assault on a female, three counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and statutory sex offense with a child less than 15 years of age. He is being held in the Clay County Detention Center without bond.
Sara Marie Yorg, 42, also of Brasstown, has been charged with two counts of accessory after the fact, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and failure to report crime against a juvenile. She was arrested July 22 and released from jail July 24 under a $100,000 bond.
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Because of the age of the victim and nature of the alleged crimes, the sheriff’s office did not provide further details. The investigating officers were Sgt. Steven Smith, Investigator Nick Queen and Lt. Tyler Faggard.
“From the beginning, workers from the Clay County Department of Social Services were contacted and became vital partners with our officers during this investigation,” Buchanan said in a release. “During this investigation, we were able to obtain digital evidence as it related to some of these charges.”
While further comment on the case was limited, the sheriff emphasized the importance of reporting known crimes, particularly involving children.
The statute reads in part: “There are mandatory reporting requirements for anyone ages 18 or older who knows or should have reasonably known that a juvenile is or has been a victim of a sexual offense. The requirement under these criteria are to report such events to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Failure to make this required report constitutes a criminal offense in and of itself. Anyone making such a required report in good faith is immune to criminal or civil liabilities.”
“Under that statute’s criteria, it’s actually a crime not to report,” Buchanan said.