Former Boy Scout leader from Cumming arrested for child molestation
Andrew Howard Whaley. Photo courtesy of Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. - A former Boy Scout leader from Cumming has been arrested and faces multiple charges related to child sexual abuse and pornography following an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
What we know:
According to authorities, 61-year-old Andrew Howard Whaley was taken into custody on May 16 and is currently being held at the Lumpkin County Jail. Whaley is charged in Lumpkin County with one count of aggravated child molestation, one count of child molestation, and one count of possession of child pornography. He also faces additional charges in Forsyth County, including six counts of creation of child pornography and 13 counts of eavesdropping and surveillance.
The GBI launched the investigation on April 18 after being contacted about a child molestation allegation in Lumpkin County. Investigators determined that Whaley had sexually abused a boy he met while serving as a Boy Scout leader.
Search warrants were executed at Whaley’s cabin and a business in Lumpkin County, where agents uncovered evidence of child pornography. Additional investigation revealed a hidden camera installed in a bathroom at Whaley’s Forsyth County residence, which authorities say he used to secretly record minors.
What's next:
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials are encouraging anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Cleveland at 706-348-4866, the GBI Tipline at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Enotah Circuit and Bell-Forsyth District Attorney’s Offices for prosecution.