Forsyth man charged after GBI child exploitation investigation
The GBI says the case began after a CyberTipline report involving online activity.
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A Forsyth man has been arrested and charged in a child exploitation investigation, according to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The GBI said 23-year-old Billy Joe Landon Hopper of Forsyth was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of obstruction and one count of tampering with evidence.
According to the GBI, the agency’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit began investigating Hopper’s online activity in June 2025 after receiving a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The GBI said the investigation led to Hopper’s arrest on Wednesday. He was booked into the Monroe County Jail.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Milledgeville and the GBI Cyber Crime Center assisted in the investigation, according to the release.
The GBI said the case is part of an ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to identify individuals involved in the exploitation of children online.
If you have information related to child exploitation cases, you’re encouraged to contact the GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at (404) 270-8870 or submit a tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the GBI Tipline.
