A former Cherokee County deputy is serving a 15-year federal sentence after pleading guilty to enticement of a minor and receipt of child sexual abuse material. The investigation reached Georgia through a broader Homeland Security Investigations inquiry into child trafficking in the Philippines.
Stephen Michael Bunte, 42, of Calhoun, was sentenced April 16, 2026, by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II in the Northern District of Georgia. The court imposed 15 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered Bunte to register as a sex offender.
This is not an allegation-stage case. Bunte pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025, to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material. His conviction and sentence are established court outcomes.
An international investigation led agents to a Georgia deputy
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Homeland Security Investigations agents were examining international child-sex-trafficking networks in the Philippines. Investigators identified a trafficker who offered customers online access to sexually explicit livestreams involving children and offered hands-on access to children.
In March 2024, agents found communications between that target and Bunte. At the time, Bunte lived in Calhoun and worked as a deputy sheriff for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
Prosecutors said information presented in court showed that Bunte and the target exchanged more than 14,000 messages and 15 phone calls between May 2023 and March 2024. Prosecutors also said Bunte received at least 35 images of child sexual abuse material involving three children.
Those details are attributed to the federal court presentation described by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prison Project is not publishing the children's ages or other identifying information because those details are not necessary to explain the conviction or the accountability failure.
Why the former deputy's position matters
Bunte's crimes were not charged as conduct committed in a jail or during an arrest. His law-enforcement position still matters because officers are entrusted with unusual authority, access to sensitive information, and responsibility for people who may be especially vulnerable.
The sentence does not prove that the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office knew about the conduct while it was occurring. The public record cited for this article does show that Bunte was employed as a deputy during part of the period described by prosecutors.
The guilty plea establishes Bunte's criminal responsibility for the two federal counts. It does not automatically establish institutional liability by his former employer or prove any uncharged conduct.
The case also shows how digital evidence can cross jurisdictions. The investigation began with alleged trafficking overseas, then followed communications and images to a local law-enforcement employee in Georgia. Homeland Security Investigations and the Calhoun Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold III and Leanne Marek prosecuted it.
What the sentence includes
The prison term is only one part of the judgment. Bunte will also face 15 years of federal supervision after his release and must register as a sex offender. Supervised release begins after imprisonment and can include court-enforced conditions.
The Justice Department described the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, the federal initiative that coordinates federal, state, and local work against online child exploitation and abuse.
If you encounter suspected child exploitation online
Do not redistribute suspected child sexual abuse material, even to document it. Preserve non-graphic information such as the account name, platform, URL, date, time, and a description of what you observed, then report it through an official channel.
Report suspected online child sexual exploitation at report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-THE-LOST.
Report suspected child exploitation or other criminal activity at ice.gov/tipline or call 866-347-2423.
If a child appears to be in immediate danger, call 911 or the appropriate local emergency number. A tip line is not a substitute for emergency intervention.
Sources and verification
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, sentencing release, April 17, 2026.
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, CyberTipline.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, HSI tip line.
Verification date: October 7, 2026. The conviction and sentence are established outcomes. Conduct details are attributed to the information presented in court and summarized by federal prosecutors. Practical information is general and is not legal advice.
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