Photo Credit: Cherokee County (GA) Sheriff’s Office

Twelve individuals, including men from Walker and Floyd Counties, have been arrested in Cherokee County following a three-day undercover operation targeting suspected child predators. The initiative, dubbed “Operation Phantom Whisper,” was a collaborative effort between multiple law enforcement agencies.

The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests, stating that the operation focused on individuals seeking to engage in sexual activity with minors. According to authorities, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators posed online as underage girls, luring suspects to pre-determined locations for arrest.

Of the 12 individuals taken into custody, 11 reportedly traveled to meet someone they believed to be a 14-year-old girl with the intent to engage in sexual activity. All arrested face various felony charges related to child solicitation.

Among those identified in the arrests were Kenneth Soto-Jaimes, 22, of Rossville (Walker County) and Jonathan Wayne Brian Brackett, 33, of Rome (Floyd County).

Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds underscored the department’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations. “The safety and well-being of our children has always been and will always be a top priority,” Sheriff Reynolds stated in a news release. “The arrests of these individuals sends a strong message that we will not tolerate those who prey on our most vulnerable population.”

Operation Phantom Whisper was conducted through a vital partnership involving 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.