HALL COUNTY, Ga. — An 18-year-old South Korean native in metro Atlanta on a tourist visa is facing charges days after being banned from school campuses in Gwinnett and Hall counties.
Dongha Lee was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at a home in Flowery Branch. He’s currently being held in the Hall County Jail on an immigration hold and a misdemeanor Gwinnett County School Police charge.
He was charged with “failure of unauthorized person to check in at designated location upon entering school,” according to an arrest warrant.
An incident report states that Lee gained unauthorized entry to Seckinger High School on February 28 when a student opened a side door, bypassing normal security protocols.
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Community concerns escalated on Monday when Seckinger High School officials sent parents an urgent letter warning about an individual contacting students through social media and inviting them to meet in person.
By Tuesday, both Gwinnett County School Police and Hall County Sheriff’s deputies had issued criminal trespass warnings against him after he attempted to enroll at West Hall High School. Hall County School officials say he didn’t have the proper paperwork and he was not the appropriate age.
Lee spoke with Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson on Wednesday, claiming his presence at Seckinger High School last week was legitimate, stating unidentified parents let him in and staff provided him with a visitor’s badge.
“I just wanted to make friends,” Lee said before his arrest. “I didn’t do anything illegal to them.”
As for why he came to Georgia, he says it was to reconnect with people he had met previously. He denied he ever introduced himself as a student at the school.
“I arrived in here, like five days ago, and I didn’t do anything illegal,” he insisted.
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Lydia Clark, who says her daughter encountered Lee at Mall of Georgia, said earlier this week that Lee purchased expensive gifts such as perfumes and bags for teenagers.
“The sets he was buying were like $200 apiece,” Clark said. “This person is incredibly detailed. He has names and photos of other kids.”
While admitting to purchasing gifts for teens he met, he disputed those claims.
“I bought gifts, but it was like 43 U.S. dollars included tax. Also, it is not luxury gift,” he said. “I’m using my parents’ money.”
Homeland Security investigated and confirmed Tuesday that Lee possesses a valid 90-day tourist visa.
Before his arrest Wednesday evening, Lee posted on social media about a March 11 first-class flight from Atlanta to Seoul. It includes a caption that read: “Ugh…by the way good bye Atlanta.”
He’s eligible for a $2,500 bond, according to court records. However, it’s unclear when his immigration hold will be lifted.
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