9 Investigates: Burke County deputies targeting online sexual predators

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Sheriff’s deputies in Burke County are targeting online sexual predators.

Statistics show one in seven children receive unwanted sexual solicitations over the Internet.

Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty investigated and found that deputies are going online to keep children from becoming victims.

At least once a month, Detective Isaac Propst finds himself in a parking lot near Morganton. He goes there to arrest people looking for sex with teenage girls.

"This is knocking on wood, but they've shown up most every time,” Propst said.

Propst and other investigators have made two dozen arrests the past 16 months, including Joshua Huffman and Ralph Phillips.

Deputies said both men made arrangements to meet up with a young teenage girl not knowing they were really talking with a Burke County deputy.

The cases often start at the Sheriff's Office where investigators receive tips from people, including one woman who asked that Channel 9 not show her face.

Deputies said earlier this year her 15-year old daughter began receiving inappropriate text messages from 49-year-old Charles Mann.

"I was heartbroken. I didn't know how to act. I didn't know what to think. I was shocked, (was in) disbelief and I was mad,” she said.

Investigators said they assumed the identity of the teenager and began what they call an "online enticement case."

“We'll have a juvenile victim who comes forward to our child advocacy center and makes a really good disclosure about the events that took place but then we have a really hard time building a case around he said, she said," Propst said.

Investigators said by acting as the teenager they are able to build a case without the suspect's knowledge, keeping track of every online conversation before they set up a meeting where the arrest happens.

"We could probably do a predator or sex offender violation probably once a week. We could have 50 cases, easy, a year,” Burke County Sheriff Steve Whisenant said.

“There's that many people?” Faherty asked.

“Absolutely,” Whisenant said.

Propst and others at the department have gone through hundreds of hours of training on what they can and can't do online when talking with a potential suspect.

Attorney Shell Pearce, who is defending a man recently arrested in Caldwell County, said that training is important.

"The law regarding this crime is pretty tightly written. If law enforcement does its job correctly, there is pretty much no defense,” Pearce said.

There have been several recent high profile arrest including the pastor of a church in Avery County.

In Boone, police arrested J.P. Thrower after they said he rode his motorcycle from Oregon believing he was meeting a 14-year-old girl. Both men remain in jail awaiting trial.

The case involving the mom in Burke County ended with the arrest of a former Connelly Springs alderman.

She strongly supports what deputies are doing and hopes parents are paying attention.

"Check your children's phones. Check your internet. Follow up,” she said.

Cox Media Group