GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A Gainesville man faces multiple felony charges after Hall County investigators found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his cellphone, authorities said.
Investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit arrested Joshua Michael Williams, 43, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at a location on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Gainesville, according to Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer BJ Williams.
Williams, who reports he is homeless, was charged with three felony counts of sexual exploitation of children. He is being held without bond at the Hall County Jail.
The investigation began last summer. On June 30, 2025, Williams — a convicted sex offender — went to the Sheriff’s Office headquarters to meet with an investigator assigned to the agency’s Sex Offender Registration and Tracking Unit. During that meeting, investigators determined Williams had violated the terms of his probation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Williams later submitted his cellphone to investigators. After processing and analyzing the device, investigators located three images of child sexual abuse material, authorities said.
All information was provided by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
