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The Hartwell Sun
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) issued a warrent for a Hartwell man accused of the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Kevin Frank Welborn, 44, of Hartwell was identified during the HCSO’s Operation Good Shepherd undercover sting operation which took place on January 12 and 13, 2024 in Hall County.
Welborn and another man Richard Gearin Hall, 38, of Monroe were both identified the two men in the early stages of the investigation.
Welborn’s warrant is for one felony count of sexual exploitation of a minor after he used an electronic device to arrange a meeting for the purpose of having sex with someone he believed to a child under the age of 16.
Operation Good Shepherd’s ongoing goal was to round up suspects who use the internet for illegal sexual activity in an undercover sting operation.
HCSO investigators spearheaded the operation with officers from the Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division and Jail Division participating. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Floyd County Police Department and the Grovetown Police Department, acting under the umbrella of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, all assisted in the operation as well.
To date, HCSO investigators, along with members of the ICAC Task Force have arrested a total of 21 suspects.
Welborn was arrested during a traffic stop by the Hartwell Police Department at 7:30 a.m. March 4. He was booked into the Hart County jail and then transported to Hall County by Hart County deputies during the afternoon of March 5.