Forsyth Conducts Sex Offender Sweep, Arrests

The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office this week teamed up with the State of Georgia Probation officers to monitor the county's registered sex offenders.

With the start of a new school year beginning Thursday, the FCSO PACE Unit, Criminal Investigation Division and Probation Officers conducted searches on registered sex offenders in accordance with a 4th amendment waiver, a press release stated.

During these searches that occurred on Monday, Aug. 5, several violations and arrests were made during the operation. A total of five people, four men and one woman, were arrested (see below). Four of the five are registered as sex offenders.

"Due to the success of the operation, plans are in place to conduct similar operations in the future," wrote Deputy Sheriff Doug Rainwater in the release.

According to the FCSO, here are the individuals arrested in the sex offender probation sweep:

• Michela Marie Rice, 21, possession of scheduled IV controlled substance

• Andrew Vincent Cole, 25, violated his probation by letting another with drugs enter his dwelling

• Eric James Hamilton 45, violated his probation by having adult pornography and ammunition inside his residence

• Chad Lee Meade, 46, violated his probation by having drug paraphernalia inside his residence

• Robert Michael Tidwell, 59, violated his probation by having video on his cell phone of locations he is not permitted to be at or near

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