Multistate child exploitation sting nets suspects from Rome, Cedartown

The joint, pro- active Operation Southern Impact II was coordinated by nine Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces in eight states and focused on persons who possess and distribute child pornography and those who are sexually exploiting children in other ways using technology and the internet. Along with the FBI and GBI, agencies in Northwest Georgia that participated were the Floyd County Police Department, Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office, Gordon County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Police Department.

Those arrested from Floyd and Polk counties included:

Wesley Bunker, 27, Rome, a retail store employee.

Shawn M. Kemp, 31, Cedartown, a postal employee.

Jeffrey Lance, 26, Silver Creek, a school board employee and church youth director.

Stephen McGatha, 49, Ce- dartown, occupation unknown.

Hershell Kyle Pirkle, 29, Rome, a restaurant worker.

Darren Alan Vincent, 47, Rome, manufacturing worker.

In Georgia, 34 people were arrested during Operation Southern Impact II. Many of those arrests involved the possession and/ or distribution of child pornography. Investigators targeted those seeking out and distributing the most violent child pornography involving infants and toddlers.