Jonathan Bopp, a physical plant carpenter, was arrested Monday after being charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children.
Allie Pritchett, Viking Fusion Executive Director
MOUNT BERRY, Ga.– Jonathan Bopp, 35, was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children Monday night, according to an email sent to the Berry community by the Office of the President.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted an investigation beginning in August after receiving notice from the Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand police unit about images of child pornography being distributed internationally, according to a press release issued by the GBI. The GBI also reported in the press release that these images were traced back to Bopp’s residence in Rome, Georgia.
The GBI conducted a search warrant at Bopp’s home on Guest House Court, S.E. in Rome Monday night, according to the GBI press release. Gary Will, vice president of campus security and emergency services, said Bopp was arrested at the Berry College Police Department by the GBI, but he had no knowledge of the investigation until the arrest on Monday.
“There was not an investigation going on by the Berry College Police Department,” Will said. “The only reason it was at Berry was because that is the way it worked out.”
After the arrest, Bopp was taken to the Floyd County Jail, but he bonded out on Tuesday for $11,200, according to a Floyd County Jail spokesperson.
Bopp is employed by Berry College as a carpenter at the Physical Plant but has been put on administrative leave pending further notice, according to the email by the Office of the President.
Bopp received Berry’s top staff award, the Martindale Award of Distinction, in May 2014, according to Berry’s alumni e-newsletter, Alumni Accent. He received this award for his “innovative ideas {which} helped streamline setups for special events and keep the campus running smoothly,” according to an article in the Alumni Accent archives.