Georgia State student Carlos Porter was arrested on Dec. 8 with felony charges of sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.
Porter was the Student Government Association executive vice president of the Newton campus and was a candidate in SGA’s 2020 presidential election for the Atlanta campus.
Anthony Jones, a former SGA senator, was accused of three counts of sexual misconduct earlier this year.
SGA president Kaelen Thomas issued a statement regarding the news of Porter’s arrest.
“This news has upset me deeply, as I’m sure it has many of you,” Thomas said.
According to the statement, Porter resigned from his position effective immediately and is no longer a Georgia State student.
“We here at the Student Government Association at Georgia State University will not condone such repulsive and malicious actions by any member,” the letter continued.
Before returning this fall semester Porter, along with other SGA officers, attended a human trafficking and Title IX workshop.
“We will look to the Speaker of the Newton campus, Gabriel Pelayo, to take on the role of EVP,” Thomas said. According to the SGA bylaws in the case the speaker does not accept the position, it will become vacant.
“At this time, I can’t speak to any changes that will be made to the organization but we will [review] our governing documents during our Winter Retreat,” he said.
Thomas pledges the organization will undergo “radical change.”
GBI investigators led an operation looking into Porter after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, officials stated in a press release. The informant accused Porter of uploading child pornography to an unidentified “popular social media application.”
Officials then searched Porter’s home and all electronic devices, finding evidence they determined was enough to make an arrest. Porter is currently booked in the Newton County Jail, where he has remained for 19 days.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information becomes available.
