Lt. Col. in GA Air National Guard arrested in undercover sex sting
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - We’re getting details about the recent arrest of a high-ranking officer in the Georgia Air National Guard with ties to the 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah.
The Georgia Department of Defense says Lt. Col. Willie Newson is a member of the Georgia Air National Guard. He used to be the commander of Communication Flight for the 165th Airlift Wing based alongside the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, but we’ve independently confirmed that a recent undercover sting in the Atlanta area landed him behind bars.
We received a copy of the warrant for Newson’s arrest from The Cobb County Magistrate Court, which details a joint operation conducted by the FBI Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force. According to the warrant, on Nov. 27, Newson allegedly started chatting online with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year old. Police said Newson solicited sexual acts, and then drove to the hotel where he believed the teen was. Police were waiting and arrested him.
The Georgia Department of Defense had this to say about the incident: “We can confirm that Lt. Col. Willie Newson is a member of the Georgia Air National Guard. We are aware of the situation and all questions must be directed to the investigating authorities. Lt. Col. Newson’s alleged actions do not reflect the values we uphold in the Georgia National Guard.”
We spoke to the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Friday, and they believe Newson has bonded out since his arrest.
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