Gilmer County vendor arrested for AI-generated child exploitation images [Video]

A vendor who serviced vending machines at Gilmer High School has been arrested on multiple counts of child sexual exploitation after a student reported him for inappropriate behavior, according to the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office.

What we know:

The investigation began on Dec. 3, 2024, when a student told a school resource officer (SRO) that Ronald Richardson, a vendor who regularly refilled the school’s vending machines, had asked her to send him pictures through a social media app. The student, who said she had spoken with Richardson for about a year and had received free soft drinks from him in the past, felt the request was inappropriate and reported it to authorities.

The SRO alerted the school administration and forwarded the information to the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigations Division, which launched an inquiry that remains active.

Richardson has since been charged with multiple counts of possessing child sexual exploitation materials, with authorities anticipating …