Two Georgia teens and one adult have been arrested in the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl. According to authorities, 18-year-old Miguel Angel Holloway Boulai and 20-year-old Demauri Stevens Gumbs attacked and raped the girl in an incident in May. More disturbingly, the attack was allegedly filmed and shared to social media app Snapchat by 17-year-old Aaliyah Elize Garrison. Now, all three suspects face charges including rape and child sexual exploitation.
Police say the incident occurred on May 27, according to the Newnan Times-Herald. The unidentified victim had reportedly gone with Garrison to meet Boulai and Gumbs at the Ashley Park shopping center in Newnan, Georgia. There, police say the trio provided the young victim with alcohol.
Photo: Facebook
Police then say that Boulai and Gumbs sexually assaulted the victim twice. The first attack allegedly took place at a nearby office building, while the second occurred in a parked car.
According to authorities, Garrison participated by filming the attacks. She later shared the footage with another juvenile on the social media app Snapchat.
The attack reportedly came to light when the victim opened up to her mother about the incident. The mother immediately contacted Newnan police, who arrested Garrison on June 25, Gumbs on the 26th, and Boulai on the 30th.
Police are charging Boulai and Gumbs with rape and child sexual exploitation. Meanwhile, Garrison is being charged with child sexual exploitation for filming and sharing the footage online. Garrison was later released on a $3,500 bail bond, while Boulai and Gumbs await their first hearing in the Coweta County Jail.
The Newnan Times-Herald also reports that this isn’t Garrison’s first brush with the law. In September, police found large amounts of marijuana and THC vapes in her home while serving a search warrant for someone who was staying with Garrison and her mother. The discovery led police to charge all three with marijuana possession with intent to distribute, with Garrison’s case currently pending.
The disturbing story emerges at a time when parents are asking Snapchat to do more to scrub child sexual abuse imagery (CSAI) from the platform.
“Ensuring the safety of our Snapchat community is our top priority,” a Snapchat rep tells Parentology. “It’s long been on our roadmap to adopt Google’s CSAI Match technology, and we expect to have it in place this fall. We appreciate and welcome parents’ feedback and look forward to continuing to strengthen our efforts to protect Snapchatters’ safety and privacy.”
Aaliyah Elize Garrison — Sources
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Newnan Times-Herald: “Arrest Log: June 22-28”
Newnan Times-Herald: “Arrest Log: June 29 – July 5”
Newnan Times-Herald: “Teen who allegedly filmed rape to appear in court on drug charges”
Newnan Times-Herald: “Three charged after alleged rape of Newnan minor”
People
