Georgia man faces 20 child sex charges after arrest in Duluth
A West Georgia man already charged with molesting a girl under the age of six was arrested Friday in Duluth on 20 new counts related to child pornography, officials said.
Eric Rashard Harris, 38, of Villa Rica, was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail where he is being held temporarily before being transferred to the Carroll County Jail, online jail records showed.
According to the Villa Rica Police Department, officers were notified on Feb. 3 about a possible child molestation incident involving a girl under six years old. Harris was arrested the next day and charged with child molestation and first-degree cruelty to children, police said.
More than a week later, a detective in Villa Rica was investigating electronics that belonged to Harris. He got a search warrant and found “numerous videos of child pornography,” police said. By that time, Harris had bonded out of jail on his initial charges. On Saturday, Villa Rica police took out 20 arrest warrants against Harris for sexual exploitation of children.
Harris was located in Duluth six days later and arrested by local police. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed in this case, Villa Rica police said.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
