O.C.G.A. § 49-5-44 (2019)
Penalties for unauthorized access to records; use of records in public and criminal proceedings
(a) Any person who authorizes or permits any person or agency not listed in Code Section 49-5-41 to have access to such records concerning reports of child abuse declared confidential by Code Section 49-5-40 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Any person who knowingly and under false pretense obtains or attempts to obtain records or reports of child abuse declared confidential by Code Section 49-5-40 or information contained therein except as authorized in this article or Code Section 19-7-5 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) Records made confidential by Code Section 49-5-40 and information obtained from such records shall not be made a part of any record which is open to the public except that:
(1) A district attorney may use and make public that record or information in the course of any criminal prosecution for any offense which constitutes or results from child abuse; and
(2) The parties in a civil action may use and make public that
PROGRAMS & PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN T.49, C.5, A.3 record or information in the course of a civil action for childhood sexual abuse, as such term is defined in Code Section 9-3-33.1.
History
Ga. L. 1975, p. 1135, § 3; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1778, § 3; Ga. L. 2015, p. 689, § 6/HB 17.
Annotations
Law reviews. For article, “Practical Challenges to
Representing Unaccompanied Children Before the Atlanta Immigration Court,” see 22 Ga. St. Bar J. 35 (April 2017).