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Former Atlanta cheer coach arrested twice for sexual exploitation of a minor

​​​​​​​View Date:2024-12-24 00:55:36

A former Georgia cheer coach is facing sexual exploitation charges and authorities say there may be more victims.

Authorities said Charles Moore is a former cheer coach who worked at multiple local gyms in metro Atlanta.

He was arrested on May 27 on charges out of Loganville, about 36 miles northeast of Atlanta. He was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and furnishing obscene materials to a minor, according to the Loganville Police Department.

Loganville police later worked with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, which led to him being arrested again on Tuesday. In Barrow County, he was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

It was not immediately clear who was representing Moore in court.

Student reported inappropriate relationship

According to an incident report the Loganville Police Department filed, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office reached out to them on Feb. 26. 

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office was investigating an inappropriate relationship between a student at Walnut Grove High School and a man in his 30s and planned to forward the case to its criminal investigation division.

The next day, a Loganville police officer spoke to the sheriff’s office again and learned the sheriff’s office planned to interview the victim and download the victim’s phone data as part of the investigation. 

A different document, an arrest warrant, also read that a Loganville officer looked into the allegations and found a video of a 16-year-old girl engaging in sex acts with an unknown male. The girl was interviewed on April 5 and said it was her in the video, along with Moore.

The girl told investigators the video was recorded in the defendant’s car in a Loganville Starbucks parking lot. She told authorities Moore recorded the video and sent it to her on Snapchat. She said he sent her the footage between Dec. 26, 2023 and Feb. 23, the arrest warrant reads.

A spokesperson for the Walton County School District said Moore was a lay coach, for the Walnut Grove High School competition cheerleaders from fall 2022 to January of 2023.

As a lay coach, Moore coached while also working a job outside of the education field.

"We are aware that his tenure ended with Star Athletics after allegations of misconduct and (his) arrest in December 2023," the district said in a statement to USA TODAY. "His departure from the Walton County School District did not pertain to the current allegations and understand that the alleged incident did not happen at Walnut Grove High School or any Walton County School District campus."

Authorities ask that anyone who may be a victim of Moore’s call the Loganville Police Department.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].

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