Peach Tree Times

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced the indictment of Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Courtney Lofton on one count of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude. Specifically, the defendant is alleged to have solicited a 17-year-old female for sex in October 2022.

“Those who wear the uniform are entrusted to protect and defend their fellow citizens, and when that trust is broken, it is difficult to restore,” said Carr. “This indictment is part of a larger investigation conducted by our state and federal partners, and we will keep working with them to ensure all buyers are held accountable. We appreciate the assistance and cooperation of Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat as we continue our efforts to protect Georgia’s children from human trafficking.”

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).

“It is of utmost importance that officers who violate their oath to protect and serve be held accountable for their actions,” said GBI Director Mike Register. “Our HEAT Unit is committed to making Georgia a safer place to live.”

“As a law enforcement officer, this defendant betrayed the public trust placed in him by preying on people rather than protecting them, as he was sworn to do,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI is committed to holding those who seek to victimize others fully accountable, regardless of the position they may hold.” 

The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit presented evidence to a Cobb County Grand Jury, resulting in Lofton’s indictment* on April 28, 2023. Lofton was taken into custody by the GBI with assistance from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.

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, Georgia 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.

As of today, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has 54 defendants who are currently under indictment for sex or labor trafficking, with some facing charges in multiple jurisdictions around the state.

In 2022, the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit obtained six new convictions, led and assisted 33 case investigations, and rescued and assisted 116 victims.

*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.

Original source can be found here.