Sheriff’s Office Arrests Two Suspected Online Child Predators

Investigators with the arrested two men Wednesday, May 25, in an ongoing undercover investigation into suspected online sexual predators.

Lewis Alexander Hicks, 39, of Americus, and Jeffrey Samuel Rich, 35, of Snellville, were arrested. 

According to authorities, an undercover investigator posing as a 14-year-old female  chatted with Hicks online for several months until Hicks sent pictures of his genitalia to the officer.  Barrow officials traveled to the suspect's location Wednesday to make the arrest.

Hicks is charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes; and two counts in violation of the computer pornography child exploitation act.

A second undercover investigator, assigned from the , chatted with Rich online for several days until authorities said the suspect exposed himself via webcam to the officer, believing he was sending nude video of himself to a 14-year-old female. On Wednesday, the suspect traveled to Statham to meet the female with the intent of having sexual relations with her. He was arrested by members of the crime task force without incident and is charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes and violation of the computer pornography child exploitation act.  

These latest arrests mark the sixth and seventh arrests made by the sheriff's office since the undercover investigations began September 2010.

A mugshot of Rich was not released but will be published if it become available.