Putnam County woman arrested

Published 11:12 am Sunday, July 6, 2025

EATONTON, Ga. — An 18-year-old Putnam County woman was recently arrested by agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following an investigation involving a case related to possible sexual exploitation of children.

The suspect was identified as Haley Wheeler of Eatonton, according to a GBI press release.

Wheeler was taken into custody on a warrant charging her with one count of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

The arrest occurred at a residence in Morgan County.

After her arrest, she was taken to the Putnam County Jail in Eatonton. She has since been released on a $5,000 property bond, jail records show.

“In January 2025, the GBI Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC) began an investigation into Wheeler’s online activity after receiving a cyber tip-line report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the possible online possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material,” according to the press release. “This investigation led to Wheeler’s subsequent arrest.”

Special agents with the GBI Region 6 field office in Milledgeville assisted with the investigation, as did deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.

“This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed with the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit to identify those involved in the trade of child sexual abuse material,” according to the press release.

The ICAC Program was created by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and developed in response to the ever-increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Anyone with information about cases involving child exploitation is asked to contact the GBI Child Exploitation Unit at 404-270-8870 or report such information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tip-line at Cybertipline.org.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-8477.