14 arrested, 68 charges filed in multi-state child exploitation investigation
LEE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A month-long, multi-state investigation targeting the online sexual exploitation of children resulted in 14 arrests and 68 criminal charges, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
The operation, known as Operation Midnight Shadow, was conducted in July 2026 by the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (NCICAC) Task Force, the Invictus Task Force and numerous local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Authorities said the operation focused on people exploiting or attempting to exploit children in Lee County and surrounding counties.
Sheriff Brian Estes said the most intensive phase of the operation took place July 13-17 and highlighted the number of people allegedly seeking contact with children online.
"Sometimes I think people just forget how evil people are," Estes said. "It was just how many people were actually online looking to meet a child."
According to investigators, the suspects ranged aged from 19 to 75. Authorities said the operation resulted in 68 criminal charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors and the solicitation of children by computer for sex acts.
"These predators do not fit in one particular age group or profile. They use many different online platforms looking for a child who may be alone online without supervision and without anyone watching," Estes said. "That's exactly who this operation was designed to find."
Investigators said the operation consisted of two components. Some officers worked undercover online, posing as children or communicating with suspects who believed they were being offered access to a child. Other investigators pursued cyber tips that had already been reported to law enforcement.
The investigation extended beyond North Carolina into Kentucky, Tennessee and Nevada.
People charged during Operation Midnight Shadow
Authorities identified the following people as having been arrested during the operation:
- Michael Richard Shaw, 37, of Sanford, charged with three counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult.
- Jerry Allen Smith, 52, of Sanford, charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
- Aaron Levi Harvey, 31, of Sanford, charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
- Kameron DeVaughn Petty, 19, of Sanford, charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
- Gregory Jones, 60, of Broadway, charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
- Wayne David Morelock, 67, of Albemarle, charged with one count of solicitation of a child by computer to commit sex acts.
- George Worth Watson, 67, of La Grange, Kentucky, charged with one count of solicitation of a child by computer to commit sex acts.
- Christian Cornell Cerrato, 24, of Broadway, charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
- Bradley Kevin Lowe, 41, of Castle Hayne, charged with two counts of solicitation of a child by computer to commit sex acts.
- Daniel Ortiz Alvarado, 22, of Sanford, charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
- Bobby Eugene Malone, 75, of Sanford, charged with one count of solicitation of a child by computer to commit sex acts.
- Francis Osgood Yan, 55, of Las Vegas, charged with one count of solicitation of a minor by computer, one count of felony attempted statutory rape of a child under 15, one count of indecent liberties with a minor, one count of attempted statutory sex offense with a child under 15, three counts of disseminating harmful material to a minor and 12 additional charges filed by Las Vegas police.
- Jadon Michael Anderson, 28, of Hickory, charged with one count of solicitation of a minor by computer, one count of felony second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of indecent liberties with a minor and one count of disseminating harmful material to a minor.
- Christian Guerrero, 19, of Sanford, charged with two counts of felony second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Investigators said parents and communities must remain vigilant about children's online activity.
"Most parents do a really good job with their kids about to walk out the door and asking them with questions of, 'where are you going? Who are you going to be with? When are you coming home?' We don't ask the same questions about who they're talking to on the Internet," said Kevin Roughton, commander of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children program.
He added: "We don't ask who they're talking to. We don't ask where they are or look at where they are, and we certainly don't monitor the amount of time that they're spending it online and asking when they're going to be off or setting hours around that."
Authorities said more than 80% of the cyber tips investigators received last year came through platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Google and X. They reported receiving more than 52,000 cyber tips last year, compared with fewer than 5,000 in 2019.
Sheriff Estes said protecting children remains a top priority for law enforcement.
"Protecting children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities. These arrests reflect the ongoing commitment of our office, and our local, state, and federal partners to identify and remove those who target the most vulnerable members of our community," Estes said.
He added, "If you're targeted in a child, attempting to exploit a child, or using the Internet to prey on a child, I want you to understand this. We will use every resource available to identify, find you, and hunt you down."
Investigators said no actual children were used or rescued during the operation. Eight of the 14 people arrested remain in custody, and authorities are working with the Lee County District Attorney's Office to move the cases forward.
Participating agencies included the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and numerous sheriff's offices and police departments across North Carolina. The Lee County District Attorney's Office and Lee County School System also assisted in the operation
