TOCCOA, Ga. — A Demorest man is behind bars facing multiple child sex crime charges after Stephens County deputies arrested him during a traffic stop in Toccoa.
According to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies pulled over a pickup truck on Highway 123 near Letourneau Drive on Monday, September 29. The driver, identified as 38-year-old Jonathan Scott Barker, was found to have active warrants for child molestation and related charges. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Stephens County Jail.
The warrants were issued on September 25, following an investigation into a report of inappropriate text messages and contact between Barker and a minor. According to investigators, forensic interviews and other evidence provided enough probable cause to charge him.
Barker is charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes, child molestation, sexual battery against a child under 16, grooming of a minor, and using a computer service to solicit a child to commit illegal acts. A magistrate judge denied him bond. He remains in the Stephens County Jail.
The case remains under investigation.
Sheriff’s officials stressed in a press release that they take all allegations of child sexual abuse seriously and urged anyone with information about this or any other crimes to come forward. Tips may be submitted through the sheriff’s office mobile app, social media channels, or by calling the Criminal Investigations Division at 706-886-7048. Non-emergency tips may also be reported at 706-779-3911.
