Yet another North Carolina resident has been arrested in connection with an alleged child pornography operation that was based in Harnett County. That man, age 50, was arrested on June 24. He faces serious criminal allegations of first-degree sex crimes, according to news reports.
Authorities say that the man was apprehended after investigators released photographs of his face in an attempt to identify him. Those investigators say that video tape exists implicating the man in the recorded assault of a child. Four other people have already been arrested in connection with the case, which alleges that a daycare and mentoring initiative was used as a front to create child pornography. A 33-year-old man is the primary defendant in this case.
That defendant had been on the sex offender registry for previous violations, but he was taken off in 2006. Authorities are still unsure exactly why the man’s name was removed from the registry. He had been convicted in 2000 of sex crimes charges for indecent liberties with a child.
Investigators say they believe that about 10 victims were accosted during the sex crimes violations. The younger defendant is accused of using the daycare business as a method for attracting families with young girls to his home. The man would then convince the girls to have sex with men for money. That man was also arrested earlier this year on charges that he had a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
This group of defendants are accused of perpetrating a system of sexual violence that involved children. No matter how distasteful the charges may seem, however, they still deserve the full protection of the law. All criminal defendants have the right to a fair and unbiased criminal proceeding, even if they are accused of sex crimes like these.
Source: WRAL, “Fifth person arrested in alleged Sanford child porn operation” Arielle Clay, Jun. 24, 2014