Athens-Clarke County police arrested 38-year-old Christopher Flick on November 2 on one count of obscene internet contact with a minor, capping a months-long investigation that pulled in law enforcement from two states and a federal agency. Investigators searched his home on Hunnicutt Drive the next day. He was booked into the Clarke County Jail following his arrest.
The case traces back to earlier this year, when the Athens-Clarke County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit opened an inquiry alongside Alabama’s Dale County Sheriff’s Office, according to The Red & Black. Detectives examined Flick’s online activity over concerns about possible exploitation of a minor, the outlet reported, and that work ultimately led to his arrest this week. Police also received a warrant and searched his home the day after taking him into custody.
Two outside agencies played a role in moving the case forward. The U.S. Secret Service assisted local detectives, as did an electronic detection K9 from the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, per the same account. Fox 5 Atlanta, which reported on the arrest, noted that authorities have not released specifics about what, if anything, investigators found during the search of Flick’s residence, nor have they disclosed details about the identity or location of the minor involved.
A Task Force Built to Target Online Predators
The Special Victims Unit’s work on this case falls under its broader role as a partner in the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the article notes. That task force, tied to a federal initiative established by the U.S. Department of Justice, is aimed at identifying predators who target youth online and stopping the spread of abuse material, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Athens police detectives continue to treat the matter as an open inquiry and have asked anyone with additional information to come forward.
Classic City News, citing its own reporting, identified Flick as a sixth-grade teacher at Madison County Middle School, though the outlet said his current employment status is unclear. Beyond the charge itself, little else about Flick’s background has been made public as the investigation continues.
How to Reach Investigators
Anyone with further information about the case can contact Detective Dara Shapland by email at [email protected] or by phone at 762-400-7198, per the same account. Fox 5 Atlanta also reported that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation accepts anonymous tips about suspected child abuse through its website at gbi.georgia.gov, through the See Something, Send Something mobile app, through CyberTipline.org, or by calling its tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).
