A former Democrat politician and candidate for Georgia’s House of Representatives, Carl Sprayberry, has been arrested in connection with a wide-ranging child sex trafficking investigation dubbed “Operation Lights Out.”
The sting, which took place from April 25 to April 28, involved multiple law enforcement agencies and led to the arrests of 19 individuals allegedly involved in attempting to exploit children online.
Sprayberry, 32, previously ran for Georgia’s 139th House District. He is now facing charges related to human trafficking, according to local news outlet WTVM. Authorities say the suspects, including Sprayberry, used online platforms to arrange sexual encounters with minors after explicit communication.
The investigation was a coordinated effort involving the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Officials stated that the operation specifically targeted individuals attempting to solicit sex from underage victims, including some who are believed to be foreign nationals and illegal aliens.
Sprayberry is no stranger to controversy. In February 2025, he posted a series of inflammatory social media statements calling for violence against President Donald Trump.
In one tweet, he accused Trump of committing “high treason” and said that if Congress failed to act, “he will be killed by the people, as per the Second Amendment’s existence.” In another, he implied that a Secret Service agent “should shoot him,” adding bluntly: “It’s time to kill Trump.”
Despite the severity of those threats, Sprayberry was not arrested at the time, raising questions about enforcement standards for politically motivated threats against public figures. Critics argue that his prior statements should have triggered a federal investigation and resulted in immediate action by the Secret Service.
Now, Sprayberry faces far graver legal consequences as part of what law enforcement officials are calling a significant victory in the fight against child exploitation.
The full list of individuals arrested, all charged with human trafficking or related child exploitation crimes, has been released by the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and reported by WRBL.
As the investigation continues, officials emphasize that the operation sends a clear message: efforts to harm children—whether in person or online—will be met with zero tolerance.