Crime & Public Safety

Georgia man faces 20 child sex charges after arrest in Duluth

A West Georgia man charged with child molestation who was out of jail on bond was arrested Friday in Duluth on new charges related to the possession of child porn.
A West Georgia man charged with child molestation who was out of jail on bond was arrested Friday in Duluth on new charges related to the possession of child porn.
Feb 20, 2021

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 restaurant critic and food reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covers Atlanta’s restaurants, chefs and dining culture. As part of the AJC’s Food & Dining team, he reviews new restaurants, reports on industry trends and explores metro Atlanta’s culinary scene through the neighborhoods and people that shape it.

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