10 arrested in Houston County undercover operation targeting sex trafficking
Ten people were arrested in and around Houston County as part of "Operation Southern Comfort," a multi-agency undercover investigation aimed at combating sex trafficking and commercial sex buyers.
PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Ten people were arrested in and around Houston County as part of “Operation Southern Comfort,” a multi-agency undercover investigation aimed at combating sex trafficking and commercial sex buyers.
Coordinated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (GBI HEAT), Perry Police Department, Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Motor Carrier Compliance Division and the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, the operation spanned several months and culminated in the arrests of men ranging in age from 23 to 68.
“The goal of Operation Southern Comfort was to reduce the demand by identifying and bringing in commercial sex buyers and drawing in commercial sex workers to offer them services,” a GBI news release stated. “The objective was to identify and arrest pimps and human traffickers through this two-fold approach.”
The individuals arrested were charged with Pandering and are as follows:
- Carl Barnard Henry, 34, Unadilla, Georgia
- Alvin Lamonte Payne, 48, Kathleen, Georgia
- Jose Dejesus Casillas, 44, Warner Robins, Georgia
- Timothy Wayne Kinard, 55, Vienna, Georgia
- Michael Anderson Seymour, 68, Albany, Georgia
- Julius Lamont Barnes, 49, Kathleen, Georgia
- Trey Austin Jaylen Whitehead, 23, Perry, Georgia (also charged with obstruction)
- Jeremy Dashawn Johnson, 31, Unadilla, Georgia
- Stephen Greenfield, 52, Byron, Georgia
In addition, a 39-year-old Byron woman was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant.
Additional charges and arrests may follow, according to the GBI, which said the investigation is ongoing.
If you suspect human trafficking, contact the GBI’s HEAT Unit at (404) 270-8433 or the Houston County Sheriff’s Office at 478-542-2125. Reports can also be made 24/7 to Georgia’s statewide human trafficking hotline at 1-866-ENDHTGA.
