Sixteen men were arrested after a coordinated, multi-agency undercover operation in Nash County in which officers posed online as minors. The four-day February sweep, according to authorities, led to more than 80 criminal charges and brought together roughly 150 officers from over a dozen law-enforcement agencies working across multiple jurisdictions.
According to WRAL, 13 agencies took part in the sting, with arrests carried out in Nash County and nearby areas. Agencies named by officials include the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, the Rocky Mount Police Department, the Raleigh Police Department and the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office.
“The operation demonstrates the power of teamwork and shared commitment across jurisdictions,” said Caleb Shockley, who helped coordinate the effort, according to WRAL. Investigators said they posed as underage users online in order to identify and detain suspects before they could make contact with real children.
How the Sting Worked
Investigators set up decoy accounts on social media and messaging platforms, then engaged in online conversations with adults they believed were trying to exploit minors. Federal child-protection initiatives and the FBI describe such decoy operations as a standard tactic that aims to stop meetings between suspects and actual children while building prosecutable cases…