Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit Set to Expand to Augusta and Macon

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today joined Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, and legislative partners for the signing of the AFY 25 budget, which provides additional funds to expand Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, with new regional prosecutors and investigators in Augusta and Macon. Governor Kemp included the funding in his initial budget proposal as submitted in January 2025 and passed by the General Assembly.

“From successful prosecutions to life-saving recoveries, we have created an environment in Georgia where traffickers live in fear and victims know that help is on the way,” said Carr. “We’re grateful for the leadership of Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, who have championed survivors and prioritized this fight since day one. We thank them and all those in the General Assembly for their support and unwavering commitment to ending human trafficking in our state. Together, we will continue to send a strong message that Georgia’s children are not for sale.”

Created in 2019 with the support of Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and leaders in the General Assembly, Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has secured more than 50 convictions and rescued and assisted nearly 200 children. 

Highlights of the Unit’s success include:

• The prosecution of a hotel clerk who was convicted by a Fulton County jury for using his position to assist in the trafficking of an underage female – the first case of its kind to be brought in Georgia;
• The conviction of two individuals from Ohio, one of whom was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, for trafficking a 16-year-old female who was reported as missing out of South Carolina and eventually located by Sheriff’s Deputies in Greene County; 
• The conviction of five gang members involved in child sex trafficking in Dougherty County; and
• The conviction of 12 individuals involved in the trafficking of a 17-year-old female who was recovered from a hotel in Fulton County.

In addition, the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit recently indicted three individuals – two buyers and one seller – for the trafficking of a 13-year-old female in Houston County and is currently prosecuting a case involving the trafficking of a disabled adult in Clayton County.

Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit is based in Atlanta and works with local, state, and federal law enforcement to rescue victims and prosecute offenders throughout Georgia. This upcoming expansion – the Unit’s first – follows the recent expansion of Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit. Created in July 2022, the Attorney General’s Gang Prosecution Unit is based in Atlanta with regional, satellite prosecutors and investigators in Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Southeast Georgia, and they have seen tremendous success with this regional framework. In Richmond County alone, Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has seized 15 lbs. of fentanyl – enough to kill 3.5 million Georgians – and obtained a 333-count gang indictment charging 30 individuals with a range of violent crimes.

Since taking office in November 2016, Carr has transformed the Attorney General’s Office from a primarily civil practice to an aggressive criminal practice as well. Following the creation of his Human Trafficking and Gang Prosecution Units in 2019 and 2022, Carr stood up Georgia’s first statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit just last year, and his team has already partnered with several major retailers to investigate cases throughout the state. At the same time, Carr has continued to strengthen the efforts of his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit, which has successfully prosecuted a range of cases involving public corruption, theft against the state, and cyber-enabled fraud.

Training Opportunities

Last year alone, Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit conducted 45 trainings for law enforcement, victim advocates, community organizations, and other local and national audiences. To request a training or meeting with the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, visit our website here.

For a comprehensive overview of human trafficking, Georgians are encouraged to take part in First Lady Marty Kemp’s Human Trafficking Awareness Training. The training is free and available online here.

Reporting Information

To report suspected human trafficking in Georgia, call the Statewide 24-Hour Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-866-ENDHTGA (1-866-363-4842).  If you have reason to believe that a victim is in imminent danger, call 911 or your local law enforcement agency to file a report. For more information on how to get help for both national and foreign-born victims of human trafficking, visit www.endhtga.org.