WARE COUNTY, Ga. — The estranged wife of one of the five people arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in a child sexual abuse investigation is speaking out.
“It terrified me. I mean, I just cried,” said Kara Heath, estranged wife to Joel Christopher Heath. “It was like a 180° to us.”
The GBI says Heath’s arrest led to the arrests of four others.
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Here are the five people arrested by the GBI:
- Joel Christopher Heath, 42, of Blackshear, Ga., charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, child exploitation, and child molestation
- Theresa Bryant, age 55, of Alma, Ga., charged with sex trafficking, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, and first-degree cruelty to a child
- Betty Sue Lee (Corbitt was her Alias), age 60, of Waycross, Ga., charged with child exploitation
- Elizabeth Delk, age 48, of Homerville, Ga., charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, child exploitation, and child molestation
- Amber Lynn Hult, age 45, of West Columbia, SC, charged with sex trafficking, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, first-degree cruelty to a child, and incest
Four of the five people arrested are women.
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In early June, the Ware County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joel Heath on Child Molestation allegations.
Joel is the estranged husband of Kara Heath.
“We have no clue what happened,” said Kara Heath. “He’s been out of our house for three years…he’s hurt his immediate family.”
During the investigation, they found evidence of several additional victims under the age of 13 in multiple counties, including Ware, Charlton, Clinch, and Bacon.
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The GBI says eight victims have been identified, all between the ages of 3 and 13. Investigators believe there could be more potential victims.
For Kara Heath, hearing the charges against her estranged husband was difficult to accept for her and their two children.
“I don’t know what he’s been doing all our lives and hiding stuff. I mean, it’s just crazy to us what he has did and hid,” said Kara Heath. “I hope he gets what he deserves.”
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information concerning this investigation or other potential victims is encouraged to contact the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at 912-389-4103. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
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