Man accused of taking child he met online from metro Atlanta to Florida

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A man was arrested after deputies said he drove to Forsyth County to meet a minor he had been communicating with online.

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Forsyth County deputies said it happened last week. Authorities said Giovanni Moran, 31, began chatting with a minor online. Deputies said the conversations moved from “simple juvenile” conversations to other things.

According to Forsyth County officials, the child and Moran had been chatting for months before the interactions led to the suspect coaxing the child to leave home with him.

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Within hours of taking the report, Forsyth detectives identified Moran and knew he had traveled to Forsyth County and then returned to Osceola County near Orlando, Florida.

Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and the FBI Offices in Orlando and Gainesville began searching for Moran.

He was arrested and the child was rescued. The child’s age was not released.

“Do not mess with our elderly or kids, we will hunt you down,” the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said.

Moran is charged with interstate interference with custody but more charges are pending in Forsyth County and Orlando. He is being held in the Osceola County Jail on no bond. He will be extradited back to Georgia.

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The FCSO shared a few ways to keep your teens safe online:

• Be aware of what your children are doing online and what sites they are visiting.
• Search and review what and who your child is corresponding with online.
• Set boundaries and warn about dangers. Boundaries should be age-appropriate and set what programs they may use.
• Keep lines of communication open. Let them know they can approach you with any questions or concerns they may have encountered online.

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