Georgia – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced that Brian Smith, 43, of Perry has pled guilty in a Houston County case involving the trafficking, molestation, and statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Smith is the second person found guilty of purchasing the youngster and the third person in this investigation to be held responsible.
Carr commended the outcome, emphasizing the state’s ongoing commitment to protecting children from traffickers.
“Another predator is off our streets and behind bars thanks to the dedicated efforts of our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit,” said Carr. “We’re fighting to protect our most vulnerable Georgians, and we’re taking down traffickers in every corner of our state. With each new conviction, we will continue to send a strong message that Georgia’s children are not for sale.”
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit started looking into the case when the victim said they had been sold for sex in Warner Robins in 2020. Smith was charged in November 2024, along with two others: Emma-Lee Garcia from Warner Robins and Noe Borromeo Hernandez, a Mexican national living in Kathleen. In May 2025, a fourth person named Demaria Williams from Byron was charged, and his case is still open.
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On October 9, 2025, Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking people for sexual slavery, one count of aggravated child molestation, and one case of statutory rape. He got a 25-year sentence, with the first five years in prison and the rest on tight probation. He will also be put on the sex offender list.
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This year, Garcia and Hernandez were both found guilty of the same crime. Garcia was found guilty on five counts of trafficking people for sexual slavery. He posted ads online and made money selling the minor for sex. She was given a 40-year sentence, but she only has to serve 18 years in prison. Hernandez was found guilty of trafficking, two counts of child molestation, and statutory rape. He bought the child for sex. He got a 25-year term, 10 of which will be spent in prison. When he gets out, he will be deported.
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Bryan Kimbell, the Chief Human Trafficking Investigator, and Maggie Meetze, the Assistant Attorney General, were in charge of the investigation and prosecution. Both work for Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. The unit was set up in 2019 with cooperation from Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp. Since then, it has gotten more than 60 people convicted and helped more than 200 victims around the state. The unit’s main office is in Atlanta, but it also has offices in Macon and Augusta, which helps Georgia’s fight against human trafficking reach more people.
