Chattooga County residents were shocked about the news that a Lyerly woman was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) this week, and is facing serious charges including sexual exploitation of children and bestiality. Lillian Hughes, 32, was taken into custody following an investigation into her online activities.  The GBI is encouraging anyone with information about child exploitation to contact them.

Hughes has been charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of bestiality. The GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Calhoun and the GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit initiated their investigation in July 2025.

The investigation began after the GBI received a referral from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office concerning Hughes’s possible online possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. This led to the execution of a search warrant at Hughes’s home, which ultimately resulted in her arrest.

The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance during both the search warrants and the arrest operations.

Following her arrest, Hughes was booked into the Chattooga County Jail.

This investigation is part of the ongoing efforts by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed within the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit. The ICAC Program, created by the US Department of Justice, was developed to address the increasing presence of child sexual abuse material online and the heightened online activity by predators seeking unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Authorities urge anyone with information about this case or other instances of child exploitation to contact the GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870 or submit a report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at Cybertipline.org. Anonymous tips can also be provided by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.