CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. – A three-day operation in Camden County led to the arrest of five men on various charges associated with child sex crimes.
The operation, called "Operation Slumber Party," was an investigation coordinated by the Camden County Sheriff's Office, the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Services, the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit.
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The operations took several months of planning, police said.
Kenneth James Tennison, 23, of Waynesville, Georgia, was charged with sexual exploitation of children.
Brian Robert Gleason, 42, of St. Augustine, was charged with criminal attempt enticing a minor for indecent purposes.
Travis Lamar Nicholson, 34, of Ovett, Mississippi, was charged with sexual exploitation of children and possession of methamphetamine.
Arvy Wesley Peters Jr., 43, of Brunswick, was charged with sexual exploitation of children.
Kevin Chad Hardy, 32, of Columbus, Georgia was charged with criminal attempt to commit a feloy (child molestation).
Over the course of the operation, police said they had more than 100 exchanges with individuals on various social media or internet platforms. In more than 75 of those were exchanges, the subject initiated contact and directed the conversation toward sex, according to police. Some individuals were told they were talking with a minor, and reacted appropriately and ceased communications. However, in some cases, the conversations continued.
Over the course of the operation, police said almost 12 cases were established that met the threshold for arrest, with five of those cases resulting in arrests.
"We will continue to be proactive in identifying, apprehending and prosecuting individuals who exploit children," said Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor. "This type of cooperation and collaboration is invaluable in the effort to keep our children safe from predators who seek to harm them."