FBI arrests lieutenant colonel with Savannah ties during sex sting, sources say

An Air Force lieutenant colonel was arrested Tuesday during an FBI sex sting for allegedly attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl in the Atlanta area, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Lt. Col. Willie Newson, 47, works on the command staff of Maj. Gen. Jessie T. Simmons Jr., the article says. Simmons is commander of the Georgia Air National.

Newson has been placed on leave, according to the article.

He has Savannah ties as he formerly commanded the 165th Communication Flight of the 165th Airlift Wing at the Savannah Air National Guard Base, says the Air Force Times.

He was arrested by the FBI after he met the “teenager” on a dating app, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says. The teen was an undercover FBI officer.

Newson was charged with child exploitation, the Air Force Times says. He bailed himself out of Cobb County Jail on a $20,000 bond.