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Moore County Man Faces Child Exploitation Charges

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MOORE COUNTY, N.C. — Moore County deputies arrested and charged a man with several counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Working on a tip form an informant, the Moore County Sheriff's Department carried out a search warrant at 39-year-old Robert Roybal's Whispering Pines house and discovered dozens of a dozen of video-tapes CD's containing child pornography.

"It's certainly more graphic than any of us have seen," Moore County Chief Dep. Neil Godfrey said about the material.

Godfrey said children between the ages of 3 and 12 appear on video having sex with adults. He said some of the encounters appear to be homemade and Roybal is allegedly seen having sex with children in many of the scenes.

"We're making an effort to try to identify some of the children who are in these videos, and hopefully will be able to identify them to get them some assistance, some help, and hopefully file additional charges against him," said Godfrey.

Roybal is listed as a registered sex offender on North Carolina's Sex Offender Registry.

Roybal was previously charged by the Pinehurst Police Department with one count of first-degree sex offense with a child and one count of indecent liberties with a child on Oct. 9, 2000. Roybal pleaded guilty to one count of indecent liberties with a child on June 5, 2001.

"Some of these individuals are predators, and they certainly prey upon children in neighborhoods," said Godfrey.

Neighbor Richie Cunningham was appalled by the new allegations.

"It's disgusting that grown people have those tendencies," said Cunningham.

Roybal is in jail on $500,000 bond. Authorities said they plan to file more charges in the case next week.

Since some of the children in the videos may be local, authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the Moore County Sheriff's Department at

910-947-2911

.

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