Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney

Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit

Sherry Boston, District Attorney

Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting children by aggressively prosecuting offenders who prey upon our youngest citizens.

The Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children (SECAC) Unit handles cases in which children have been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse, neglect or death, in addition to human trafficking and child sexual exploitation crimes.

SECAC employees are on-call 24 hours a day and seven days a week to assist law enforcement. Unit members conduct training seminars for law enforcement agencies and participate in a variety community education platforms.

It’s not always easy to spot abuse because perpetrators often take steps to hide their actions. Some signs are easier to spot than others: 

Red Flags for Parents:
Physical signs:

  • Unexplained injuries, such as bruises, fractures or burns
  • Injuries that don't match the given explanation
  • Untreated medical or dental problems

Behavioral signs:

  • Sexual behavior that is inappropriate for the child’s age
  • Bedwetting or soiling the bed, if the child has already outgrown these behaviors
  • Not wanting to be left alone with certain people or being afraid to be away from primary caregivers, especially if this is a new behavior

Emotional signs:

  • Excessive talk about or knowledge of sexual topics
  • Resuming behaviors that they had grown out of, such as thumb sucking
  • Nightmares or fear of being alone at night

 Common Work and Living Conditions:

  • Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
  • Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
  • Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior:

  • Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
  • Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
  • Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health:

  • Lacks medical care and/or is denied medical services by employer
  • Appears malnourished or shows signs of repeated exposure to harmful chemicals
  • Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control:

  • Has few or no personal possessions
  • Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
  • Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)

Other:

  • Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
  • Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or of what city he/she is in
  • Loss of sense of time