A multi-agency undercover operation in Nash County has led to the arrest of 16 people accused of attempting to prey on children online, with officials now releasing specific charges for each suspect.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said the four-day operation took place in February in Nashville and involved more than 150 officers from 13 law enforcement agencies.
Investigators said suspects believed they were communicating with children under the age of 16 but were actually interacting with undercover officers posing as minors.
The operation resulted in more than 80 criminal charges.
Authorities identified those charged and their offenses as:
- Aaron Reshon Murphy, 33 — solicitation of a child by computer, dissemination of obscenity to a minor, solicitation of prostitution of a minor
- Adam Abraham Scanlan, 32 — solicitation of a child by computer
- Cody Blasiman, 24 — two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of disseminating obscenity to a minor under 13
- Daniel Mabe, 43 — second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- Dawson Matthew Memmel, 21 — solicitation of a child by computer, dissemination of obscenity to a minor, attempted first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- Dennis Paul Corbett, 87 — two counts of solicitation of a child by computer
- Jairo Flores, 26 — 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- James Onofrio, 61 — second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, carrying a concealed gun, resisting a public officer
- Jeremy Prashaw — disclose private images of an adult, 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- John Clay Harris, 65 — dissemination of obscenity to a minor
- Michael Clark Williams, 75 — two counts of solicitation of a child by computer, two counts of attempted first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- Nezar Ghaleb Ghaleb, 29 — solicitation of a child by computer, solicitation by computer, indecent liberties with a child, attempted statutory rape of a child under 15, 13 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- Nicholas Lee Bryson, 35 — four counts of sexual activity by a parent or custodian, fugitive charge out of Florida for sexual battery familial or custodial and lewd and lascivious molestation
- Raymond Hunter Robson, 64 — solicitation of a child by computer, dissemination of obscenity to a minor
- Salvador Galaviz, 41 — three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- William Manning, 19 — four counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
“This operation demonstrates the power of teamwork and shared commitment across jurisdictions,” Nashville Police Chief Caleb Shockley said. “Every one of these agencies came together with one goal — to protect children, and remove dangerous individuals from our communities.”
Participating agencies included the Nashville Police Department, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Rocky Mount Police Department, Sunset Beach Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Huntersville Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the Invictus Task Force, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Nash County District Attorney’s Office, the Nash County Magistrate’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
Officials said the operation is part of ongoing efforts to identify and stop online exploitation before it reaches children.
Law enforcement leaders are urging parents and guardians to monitor their children’s online activity and report suspected exploitation to local authorities or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges could be filed.
