LEE COUNTY, N.C. — Fourteen people are facing a combined 68 charges following a multi-agency child exploitation investigation led by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The operation was conducted during July in coordination with the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Invictus Task Force. Authorities announced the results on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Investigators said the operation targeted people accused of sexually exploiting minors or using computers to solicit children for sexual activity. According to investigators, some of the cases involved officers posing as children online and communicating with suspects who were allegedly willing to travel to meet a minor.
Lee County Sheriff Brian Estes said protecting children from sexual predators remains one of his office’s highest priorities.
“These arrests reflect the ongoing commitment of our office, and our local, state and federal partners to identify and remove those who target the most vulnerable members of our community,” Estes said.
Nine Suspects Are From Lee County
Nine of the 14 suspects are from Sanford or Broadway. Other defendants are from Albemarle, Castle Hayne, Hickory, Kentucky and Nevada.
Those arrested were Michael Richard Shaw, Jerry Allen Smith, Aaron Levi Harvey, Kameron DeVaughn Petty, Gregory Jones, Wayne David Morelock, George Worth Watson, Christian Cornell Cerrato, Bradley Kevin Lowe, Daniel Ortiz Alvarado, Bobby Eugene Malone, Francis Osgood Yan, Jadon Michael Anderson and Christian Guerrero.
The charges include statutory sex offense with a child, second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, solicitation of a child by computer, attempted statutory rape, indecent liberties with a minor and dissemination of harmful material to a minor.
One suspect was arrested in Las Vegas and faces additional charges filed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Moore County Deputies Assisted With the Investigation
The Moore County Sheriff’s Office was among more than 20 local, state and federal agencies involved in the operation. Other participating agencies included the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Sanford Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office.
Officials said the individual cases are not believed to be connected beyond the arrests occurring during the same coordinated operation.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The charges listed against them remain allegations.
Source: North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Randolph County.
