Barrow officials arrest child predator suspect from Commerce

Barrow County Sheriff’s investigators arrested Gregory Franklin Varner, 47, on May 12, with a search warrant accusing him of chatting with the undercover investigator since September of 2010.

Varner is charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes and sexual exploitation of a child. Both are felonies under Georgia law.

The warrant was executed at Varner’s residence in Jackson County where investigators seized computer equipment used to communicate with underage females.

Officials said they plan to conduct a forensic analysis of the computer in the near future. The investigation is still active.

Varner repeatedly requested nude photos of the underage female be sent to him, as well as numerous other illicit requests and lewd statements in the multitude of chats, officials said.

The undercover investigator also chatted with the suspect through the social networking site of Facebook.

Authorities encourage all parents to monitor their children’s Internet activity, including chat logs, history of sites visited and Facebook accounts. Any suspicious activity should be reported to their local police department or Sheriff’s Office.

“It is vital for parents to take an active role in the Internet activity of their children,” Sgt. Caine Tate with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office said “If left unchecked, online predators have direct and easy access to children and vulnerable adults.”