Authorities arrest alleged child molestation suspect

JASPER, Ga. – According to reports from Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), a fugitive, Michael Case, was located and arrested on the evening of August 8.

The 37-year-old, white male led authorities on a two-day hunt with multiple law enforcement agencies working together to locate the suspect. Local agencies and the GBI took to social media asking for the public’s help in finding Case on Saturday, August 8.

Arrest warrants were issued over the weekend as authorities were seeking Case for aggravated child molestation, incest, and statutory rape charges. Authorities had requested help from the public for information or whereabouts him.

However, early this morning, August 9, authorities updated social media posts saying that Case had been apprehended. Pickens County Sheriff’s Office added that he was in custody in Fannin County, where he was last seen.

According to GBI, they were requested to aid Pickens County Sheriff’s Office in a child abuse investigation on August 4, 2020. That investigation is still ongoing. However, warrants were issued for him and authorities began the search later in the week.

Efforts involved Sheriff’s Offices from several counties including Cherokee County, Fannin County, Gilmer County, and Pickens County alongside the Georgia Department of Corrections and GBI.

Case is a Gilmer County resident but was last seen in Blue Ridge as authorities said when beginning the search. He was apprehended late on August 8, 2020.