MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A 19-year-old from Mooresville was arrested and charged with five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor following an investigation that began with a cyber tip, according to the Mooresville Police Department.
Hunter Ryan Freeze was taken into custody after police conducted an investigation into online activity linked to an account.
The investigation began on Oct. 2, after the police received a tip that child sexual abuse material had been distributed or received from a local account. Search warrants executed on the accounts enabled investigators to identify Freeze as the account holder.
On Oct. 13, officers executed search warrants at two Mooresville residences associated with Freeze, located on Limerick Road and Pleasant Grove Lane.
During the searches, police seized multiple electronic communication and storage devices. A forensic examination of the seized devices conducted at the Mooresville Police Department uncovered multiple files containing child sexual abuse material.
Freeze was booked into the Iredell County Jail, where his bond was set at $150,000.