ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Tyrone Stukes, 53, of Riverdale, has been indicted in DeKalb County. Stukes is alleged to have solicited a 17-year-old female for sex in Decatur, Georgia, in April 2022.

“We’re fighting to protect our most vulnerable Georgians, and that includes our ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking,” said Carr. “We know that to end child sexual exploitation in our state, we must put a stop to those who are driving the demand, and that means going after buyers as well as sellers. We will continue to send a strong message that Georgia’s children are not for sale.”

This indictment stems from a joint human trafficking investigation conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta Field Office. This investigation also resulted in the indictment of former Fulton County Sheriff’s Deputy Courtney Lofton in Cobb County in April 2023.

“The GBI’s HEAT Unit is firmly committed to protecting human trafficking victims by working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “We will continue to thoroughly investigate these crimes and prepare a strong case for prosecution.”

"HSI Atlanta and our law enforcement partners stand committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens. The indictment of Tyrone Stukes underscores our unwavering dedication to safeguarding our children and upholding the principles of justice. Our dedicated law enforcement team will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who exploit and harm our youth face the full force of the law,” said HSI Atlanta acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama.

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit presented evidence to a DeKalb County Grand Jury, resulting in the indictment* of Tyrone Stukes on Aug. 23, 2023. Specifically, the defendant is facing the following charges:

  • 1 count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude

No further information about the investigation or the indictment may be released at this time.

About the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit

In 2019, with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the Georgia General Assembly, Attorney General Chris Carr created the first-of-its-kind statewide Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Last year, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit led and assisted 33 case investigations and rescued and assisted 116 victims.

So far, the Unit has obtained 26 new convictions in 2023, all of which have included prison sentences.

The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has 37 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is housed in the Prosecution Division, which also includes Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit and his Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit.

*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.