A former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and ex-member of the Georgia Air National Guard was indicted Thursday after being arrested in Marietta during an FBI sex sting in December.
Willie Newson was indicted on one count of violating the Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act, Cobb County court records show.
He is accused of trying to meet a 14-year-old on a dating app, but the teen was actually an undercover officer for the FBI’s Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force, AJC.com previously reported.
RELATED: Man arrested in sex sting at Marietta hotel allegedly tried to meet 14-year-old
Georgia Air National Guard spokeswoman Maj. Pamela Stauffer confirmed that Newson is no longer a member of the military. He had been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Newson previously commanded the 165th Communication Flight of the 165th Airlift Wing.
MORE: Mid-ranking Air Force officer faces child exploitation charge after Marietta sex sting
He was arrested at the Radisson at 1775 Parkway Place in Marietta on Dec. 1. An arrest warrant obtained by Channel 2 Action News said the undercover officer “gave Newson the opportunity to stop communicating several times.”
Newson previously bailed himself out for $20,000. The Georgia National Guard has a base in Marietta that was marked as Newson’s address in Cobb County’s jail records.
Clarification: An earlier version of this story stated that Newson was still on leave.
In other news:
About the Author
