Armed robbery suspect charged with 164 counts of child sexual exploitation

Abraham Makaya-BazabaPhoto byHall County Sheriff's Office

A Gainesville armed robbery suspect now faces dozens of charges for possession of child pornography.

Police arrested Abraham Makaya-Bazaba, 18, of Gainesville, for felony armed robbery, aggravated assault, and theft by taking following the hold-up of Browns Bridge Market on January 13.

"During the course of their investigation, Gainesville Police Department officers discovered sexually explicit photos of children on the suspect’s cell phone," a news release from the Hall County Sheriff's Office states.

Because the suspect lives in Hall County, police gave the phone to sheriff’s investigators for further processing.

"The HCSO investigation found 164 images of child sex abuse material (CSAM) on the phone," says HCSO spokesperson B.J. Williams.

The children in the photos were estimated to range from infants to 14 years old.

As a result of the investigation, authorities charged Makaya-Bazaba with 164 felony counts of sexual exploitation of children. He remains in the Hall County Jail with no bond.