The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office assisted in a multi-county undercover operation based in Nashville that led to the arrest of 16 people accused of attempting to prey on children online.
The four-day operation took place in February and involved more than 150 officers from 13 law enforcement agencies, according to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.
The operation specifically worked to identify, investigate and apprehend alleged sexual predators who believed they were communicating with children under the age of 16.
Officers posed as minors online, communicating with suspects in an effort to intercept criminal behavior before it reached real children.
More than 80 criminal charges were filed, ranging from sexual exploitation of a minor to solicitation of a child by computer, attempted statutory rape, indecent liberties with a child and dissemination of obscenity to a minor.
Those who were arrested included Aaron Reshon Murphy, 33, on charges of solicitation of a child by computer, dissemination of obscenity to a minor and solicitation of prostitution to a minor; Adam Abraham Scanlon, 32, on the charge of solicitation of a child by computer; Cody Blasiman, 24, on two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of disseminating obscenity to a minor under 13; and Daniel Mabe, 43, on the charge of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Also arrested were Dawson Matthew Memmel, 21, on charges of solicitation of a child by computer, dissemination of obscenity to a minor and attempted first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor; Dennis Paul Corbett, 87, on two counts of solicitation of a child by computer; Jairo Flores, 26, on 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor; and James Onofrio, 61, on charges of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, carrying a concealed gun and resisting a public officer.
Also arrested were Jeremy Prashaw, on charges of disclosing private images of an adult and 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor; John Clay Harris, 65, on the charge of dissemination of obscenity to a minor; Michael Clark Williams, 76, on two counts of solicitation of a child by computer and two counts of attempted first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor; and Nezar Ghalab, 29, on charges of solicitation of a child by computer, solicitation by computer, indecent liberties with a child, attempted statutory rape of a child under 15, and 13 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The final group named in the arrests included Nicholas Lee Bryson, 35, on four counts of sexual activity by a parent or custodian and sexual battery familial or custodial lewd and lascivious molestation; Raymond Hunter Robson, 64, on charges of solicitation of a child by computer and dissemination of obscenity to a minor; Salvador Galaviz, 41, on three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor; and William Manning, 19, on four counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Alongside the Nashville Police Department and the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, other participating agencies included the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Huntersville Police Department, the Nash County District Attorney’s Office, the Nash County Magistrate’s Office, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, the Raleigh Police Department, the Rocky Mount Police Department and the Sunset Beach Police Department.
Also involved were Homeland Security Investigations, the Invictus Task Force, the SBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
“This operation demonstrates the power of teamwork and shared commitment across jurisdictions,” said Nashville Police Chief Caleb Shockley. “Every one of these agencies came together with one goal, to protect children and remove dangerous individuals from our communities.”
Law enforcement leaders are also urging parents and guardians to remain vigilant about their children’s online activity and to immediately report any suspected exploitation to local authorities or to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.
The investigation remains active and additional charges may be forthcoming.
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