HALL CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE:
“Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) are looking for two additional suspects in connection with the agency’s Operation Good Shepherd undercover sting.
Richard Gearin Hall, 38, of Monroe, and Kevin Frank Welborn, 44, of Hartwell, were identified as suspects in the first phase of the undercover operation, which took place on January 12 and 13, 2024 in Hall County. Investigators identified the two men in the early stages of the investigation, but the two have eluded arrest.
Hall’s warrant is for one felony count of sexual exploitation of a minor after he had voice and text conversations referencing a meeting for drug use and sexual relations with someone he believed to be a child under the age of 16. Welborn’s warrant is for one felony count of sexual exploitation of a minor after he used an electronic device to arrange a meeting for the purpose of having sex with someone he believed to a child under the age of 16.
To date, HCSO investigators, along with members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force have arrested a total of 21 suspects in two phases of Operation Good Shepherd.”