Suspect back in Georgia to face 76 new counts of child exploitation
More than a year after his child pornography arrest, a Gainesville man now living in Texas was brought back to Hall County to face 76 additional charges.
The charges stem from an initial investigation launched by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office in August 2019. Mark Jason Wood, 44, was arrested Tuesday on the new charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the sheriff’s office.
Wood was first arrested Aug. 15, 2019, when investigators searched his Whitmire Circle home. He was initially charged with nine counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of sexual exploitation of children related to their search.
Investigators obtained additional warrants for Wood’s arrest in June of this year after finding at least 75 images and videos of child sexual abuse on his computer, and one image on his phone, according to sheriff’s spokesman Derreck Booth.
Those devices were seized during the August 2019 search warrant, he said.
Wood was located in Texarkana, Texas, and taken to the Hall County Jail, where he remains without bond Friday.
About the Authors
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
