Detectives held a news conference Thursday announcing the arrests of several people for internet crimes against children.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Mooresville Police announced the arrests of eight people as part of an online predator crackdown.
The Mooresville Police Department held a news conference at 11 a.m. Thursday to share information related to the results of Operation Millstone. A total of 78 law enforcement personnel from 21 agencies worked together on the operation.
Mooresville police said the suspects’ ages range from 25 to 91 years old. Police Chief Ron Campurciani said detectives said the suspects were found on four websites: Sniffles, Kik, Craigslist, Skip the Games and Wireclub. One suspect allegedly drove over three hours to meet someone he thought was a child for sex and was aware of a previous child predator crackdown.
“We’re taking these predators off the street,” Campurciani said. “We go by what the community wants, and this is obviously a problem. It’s a nationwide problem.”
Each of the suspects is accused of using various online platforms to solicit minors for sex. This operation builds on the success of Operation Artemis, which led to 15 arrests last May.
One of the suspects, 25-year-old Damon Jefferson of Salisbury, was arrested in a similar operation in Cabarrus County in October, Campurciani said.
“That’s still an active case that he had pending and he still did this,” Campurciani said. “In addition, he admitted to four other hands-on offenses involving minors that are also being investigated in Rowan County.”
Thursday’s news conference included a surprise guest: one of the suspects who was arrested. Judson Creech II, who lives in Mooresville, walked into the police department during the announcement. Creech covered his face as WCNC Charlotte’s cameras saw him walking out of the lobby. He ran away when asked about the charges he’s facing and drove off in a white SUV.
Mooresville detectives announced the arrests of multiple people on the following charges:
- Jorge Armondo Martinez, 37, of Charlotte: Felony soliciting a child by computer and appearing
- Ismael Vazquez, 33, of Charlotte: Felony soliciting a child by computer and appearing
- James David Courtney, 91, of Lexington, South Carolina: Felony soliciting a child by computer
- Eddie Rigdon, 72, of Salisbury: Felony soliciting a child by computer and appearing
- Damon Jefferson, 25, of Salisbury: Felony soliciting a child by computer and appearing
- Judson Creech II, 36, of Mooresville: Felony soliciting a child by computer and appearing
- William Dane Tobey, 75, Salisbury: Felony soliciting a child by computer and appearing
- Manuel Crispin Gonzalez, 35, of Winston-Salem: No operator license and fictitious or altered tag
Mooresville investigators worked in conjunction with numerous law enforcement agencies across the Charlotte area, as well as federal and state offices. Those agencies included the FBI, Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, North Carolina SBI and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.
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