Pender man charged with online sex crimes involving children

A 20-year-old man is facing charges for alleged online sexual activity with minors.
A 20-year-old man is facing charges for alleged online sexual activity with minors.

A 20-year-old Rocky Point man was arrested Wednesday by Pender County detectives for allegedly sexually exploiting children online.

According to a post from the Pender County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page, Adair Morales Hernandez was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor related to his illegal on-line activities.

Officials said detectives found pornographic videos of children being sexually assaulted and conversations Hernandez was having with online participants. He was arrested after a search warrant at his home.

He was given a $100,000 secured bond. According to authorities, additional charges were expected.

The Pender County Sheriff’s Office works with agencies such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and is a member of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

"The sheriff’s office stresses the importance of parents and guardians to strictly monitor their child’s online internet/social media activities to help prevent the sexual exploitation of minors," officials stated in the release.

The Pender County Sheriff's Office asks if anyone has information regarding Adair Morales Hernandez to contact Detective Sgt. Steve Clinard at 910-259-1437.

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Reporter Chase Jordan can be reached at cjjordan@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Rocky Point man charged in connection with online child sex crimes