2 Columbia County men arrested in sexual exploitation of children

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Two Columbia County men have been arrested on suspicion of sexual exploitation of children, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Being held without bond Friday in Columbia County jail were Taylor Randall Shellito, 34, and Joshua Paul Barnhill, 40. Shellito is being held on three counts of sexual exploitation of children and Barnhill on four counts.

The arrests were the result of two unrelated investigations being conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit.

Both investigations stemmed from cyber-tip reports received by the bureau from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding both men’s involvement in the online possession of child sexual abuse material, according the the GBI.

These investigations led to search warrants at the homes of Barnhill and Shellito, the bureau said.

The GBI was assisted in the execution of these search warrants by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, housed within the GBI’s computer crimes unit, to identify those involved in the child pornography trade.

The program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised with underage victims.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870. Tips can also be submitted by calling 800-597-8477, online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by ing the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

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