Ken HillmanAn FBI agent who ran a “To Catch a Predator”-style task force in North Georgia pleaded guilty Thursday to disclosing confidential information.
According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Special Agent Ken Hillman let Emerson Russell and his wife, Angela, observe agents chatting undercover with potential child predators. He also let them ride along for meet ups and arrests of the task force’s targets.
In addition, Hillman let Angela Russell chat with suspects on an FBI laptop, as if she were an agent herself.
Hillman pleaded guilty in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Walter Johnson. District Court Judge Harold Murphy will sentence Hillman, though the release does not say when that will be. He faces a penalty of up to 1 year in prison, plus a fine of up to $100,000.
The Northwest Georgia Internet Crime and Child Exploitation Task Force, spearheaded by Hillman, also consisted of officers from multiple local agencies, including the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office. The investigators would post on websites like Craigslist or Backpage.com, pretending to be fathers and uncles willing to pawn off children for sex.