Dept. of Defense official arrested in metro Atlanta human trafficking sting

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity official is among more than two dozen people arrested during a human trafficking operation in Coweta County.

Stephen Hovanic, 64, was arrested last Wednesday and charged with pandering. Twenty-five other people were arrested and face charges including prostitution, pandering, pimping and drug charges.

Hovanic has been the Chief of Staff for the DoDEA Americas since 2010.

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DoDEA is one of two federally operated school districts and oversees education from Pre-K to 12th grade for the Department of Defense.

They operate 160 schools in 11 foreign countries, seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico. Hovanic serves those schools located in the Americas.

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The DoDEA released a statement to Channel 2 Action News on Wednesday night that read:

“We are aware of an alleged incident involving a DoDEA employee in the Americas Region. As there are ongoing legal processes, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Any questions regarding the incident should be directed to the local law enforcement agency involved.”

A spokesperson says Hovanic is currently on leave.

He has since been released from the Coweta County Jail, according to jail records.

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