A Savannah man has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography at his home, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

GBI agents with the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes unit, the Savannah Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and active members of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted in the arrest of Phillip Ryan Smart on Friday in Savannah. He was charged with possession of child pornography.

Authorities issued a search warrant for the 31-year-old’s home related to an investigation into online sexual exploitation of children. As a result of the investigation, Smart was arrested. He is being held at the Chatham County Detention Center.

This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to identify those involved in child pornography trade. The U.S. Department of Justice developed the task force in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, which has coincided with the proliferation of child pornography and the heightened online activity by predators in search of unsupervised, underage victims.

Anyone with information about this case or any other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870.

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8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

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