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Gainesville man arrested, accused of child molestation, human trafficking

ajc.com

Credit: simon jhuan/Shutterstock

Credit: simon jhuan/Shutterstock

By Tanni Deb
Sept 4, 2020

A Gainesville man was taken into custody Friday after he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl during a sex trafficking incident, authorities said.

Joe Frank Wilkins, 30, was charged with child molestation, human trafficking, felony reckless conduct and aggravated sexual battery, Gainesville police said in a Facebook post. Wilkins is accused of molesting the child early Thursday morning.

It appears Wilkins purposely sought out the child for sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, Gainesville police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Holbrook said. He added that Wilkins will face additional charges.

Explore15 sex trafficking victims among 39 missing children recovered in Georgia

No further information on the charges were provided.

Gainesville Police have charged Joe Frank Wilkins, 30, of Gainesville, GA, with Trafficking of a Person for Labor or...

Posted by Gainesville Police Department on Friday, September 4, 2020

Wilkins is being held at the Hall County Jail without bond, jail records show. The investigation is ongoing.

About the Author

Tanni Deb, a Michigan native, is a content producer for the AJC, primarily covering breaking news, crime and public safety. After graduating from Northwestern University, she worked as a TV reporter before producing long-form feature videos on business trends across Africa.

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