DALTON, Ga. () – A four-day proactive online undercover investigation, coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), and the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the arrest of 11 people on numerous charges, including human trafficking charges.

The operation, named “Operation H.O.O.K.” (Hands Off Our Kids), ran from October 2nd through October 6th.

The GBI said the goal of “Operation H.O.O.K.” was to identify those who engage in sexually explicit communication with children on the Internet, arrange to engage in a sex act with the child, and then travel to meet the child for the purpose of having sex.

Additionally, the operation targeted those who are willing to exploit children by purchasing sex with a minor.

Online child predators use social media sites, messaging apps, and websites on the Internet to find children, begin conversations with them, introduce sexual content, and arrange a meeting with the child for the purpose of having sex. Boys and girls are both targeted by these predators.

The following people were arrested and charged:

• Daniel Joseph Clark, age 54, of Cohutta, GA; Occupation: Truck Driver; Charged with Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Swami Shinde, age 28, of Cleveland, TN; Occupation: Engineer; Charged with Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Jared Malbrough, age 24, of Smyrna, GA, Occupation: Engineer; Charged with Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Corey Huff, age 40, of Calhoun, GA, Occupation: Mill Worker; Charged with Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Rolando Mendez-Bamaca, age 28, of Chattanooga, TN, Occupation: Landscaper; Charged with Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Enrique Lopez, age 56, of Dalton, GA, Occupation: Factory Worker; Charged with Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Mark Andrade, age 33, of Dalton, GA, Occupation: Factory Worker; Charged with violation of Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 2007
• Vaughn Scarbrough, age 54, or Dandridge, TN, Occupation: Factory Worker; Charged with Criminal Attempt Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Brandon Bolick, age 27, of Calhoun, GA, Occupation: Restaurant Worker; Charged with Criminal Attempt Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Jonathan Monroe, age 51, of Tunnel Hill, GA, Occupation: Truck Driver; Charged with Criminal Attempt Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude
• Joshua Molina, age 36, of Dalton, GA, Occupation: Unemployed; Charged with violation of Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 2007

Additional charges and arrests may follow.

Law enforcement said “Operation H.O.O.K.” took months of planning and involved the collaboration of 14 law enforcement agencies, consisting of local, state, and federal agencies that are part of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

The suspects, ranging in age from 24 to 56, traveled from areas around Whitfield County, Georgia, with the intent to meet a child for sex.

14 law enforcement agencies, all partners in the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, participated in “Operation H.O.O.K.” These agencies were:

• Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office

• Bartow County Sheriff’s Office

• Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office

• Gordon County Sheriff’s Office

• Murray County Sheriff’s Office

• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

• Heard County Sheriff’s Office

• Grovetown Police Department

• Cartersville Police Department

• Homeland Security Investigation

• United States Secret Service

• Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Georgia Office of Public Safety Support

• Georgia Bureau of Investigation (Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, Georgia Information and Sharing Analysis Center, West Georgia Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Georgia Cyber Crimes Center).

Anyone with information about these cases or other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit at 404-270-8870 or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.