A Dahlonega man has been arrested following an investigation into the sexual molestation of Hall County girl that began, authorities say, in 2015 and continued for six years. Ricky Harold Goodell, 61, remains in the Hall County Jail with no bond at this time on three felony counts of child molestation.
“Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) were made aware of the crimes when the victim, now age 18, contacted the agency on April 23, 2026,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman B.J. Williams said Wednesday. “Since that date, investigators determined Goodell, a family friend of the victim’s grandmother, had inappropriate sexual contact with the victim on multiple occasions.”
According to the investigation, the abuse began in 2015 and continued until 2021. The victim was 9 years old when the first assault occurred, Williams said. “The investigation determined the sexual contact occurred at the grandmother’s residence just north of Gainesville. The victim and her mother lived at the residence at the time.”
Investigators obtained arrested warrants for Goodell on Tuesday, and deputies with the sheriff’s office’s Warrant Service took Goodell into custody at his residence without incident the same day.