HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 16 people during an undercover sting operation targeting people who they say used the internet for illegal sexual activity.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The bust started Feb. 23 and continued through Feb. 15. A total of 17 people traveled to a location in Hall County for illegal sexual encounters, according to the sheriff’s office. Sixteen people were arrested and another one fled from the scene and has still not been captured.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Laken Riley murder: Immigration attorney explains suspect’s path from Venezuela to Georgia
- Lawsuits claim shopping app TEMU gives company access to ‘literally everything’ on your phone
- ‘It was preventable;’ Gov. Kemp blames Biden’s policies on border control for Laken Riley murder
Of those arrested, four were charged with felony electronic exploitation of a minor after attempting to meet with a victim under the age of 16 for sex.
Eight were charged with prostitution and four were charged with pandering.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The following people were charged:
Kimberly Rene Banks, 55, Decatur, GA -- Prostitution
Tegra Eishell Butler, 34, Elberton, GA -- Prostitution
Steve Ray Dotson, 34, Highlands, NC -- Pandering
Rene Gamara, 44, Bonaire, GA -- Electronic exploitation of a minor (felony)
Staveona Monnay Harris, 22, Gainesville, GA -- Prostitution
Andrei Konapliannik, 35, Decatur, GA -- Pandering
Jerry Mansili, 34, Gainesville, GA -- Electronic exploitation of a minor (felony)
Donald Jay McCurry, 57, Commerce, GA -- Electronic exploitation of a minor (felony)
Trashawna Shanay Melvin, 32, Fairburn, GA -- Prostitution, possession of MDMA (felony), possession of less than an ounce of marijuana
Antonio Orofino, 49, Snellville, GA -- Electronic exploitation of a minor (felony)
Frank Lee Sewell, 36, Nicholson, GA -- Prostitution, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana
Matthew Tyler Harvey Shelley, 32, Commerce, GA -- Pandering
Tamara Ann Turk, 40, Cleveland, GA -- Prostitution, possession of methamphetamine (felony), possession of less than an ounce of marijuana
LaPaige Nicole Ware, 30, Gainesville, GA -- Prostitution
Cora Watts, 49, Norcross, GA -- Prostitution
Brandon McDaniel-Waddell, 29, of Winder remains at large. He is wanted on a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor.
This browser does not support the video element.