Child sex abuse Coverage

Report urges fixes to online child exploitation CyberTipline before AI makes it worse

A tipline set up 26 years ago to combat online child exploitation has not lived up to its potential and needs technological and other improvements to help law enforcement go after abusers and rescue victims, a new report from the Stanford Internet Observatory has found.

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MATT O'BRIEN, AP Technology Writers

12-year-old's text led to arrest of man charged with her rape, family says

The girl's father said she was not allowed to talk on the phone, but was allowed to text.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

Fort Liberty soldier charged with rape of 13-year-old girl

A Fort Liberty soldier accused of sex crimes with a 13-year-old girl faces multiple charges, including rape.

TSA worker from RDU charged with human trafficking in child sex sting operation

A TSA worker at Raleigh-Durham International Airport was arrested in a child sex sting operation.

Robeson County custodian accused of sending inappropriate photos, videos and texts to middle school students

Antwane Sinclair faces several charges and more are forthcoming, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office said.

WRAL Staff

Chick-fil-A owner from Ohio traveled to teen's home for sex, North Carolina deputies say

Stacy Lee Austin, 49, had reportedly been messaging the teen on social media. Editor's note: This story discusses alleged criminal sexual activity committed against a minor. Reader discretion is advised.

WCNC

Wake County firefighter charged with sexual exploitation

The Guilford County Sheriff's Office charged Andrew Kinzie with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Wake County firefighter charged with 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor

Andrew Kinzie was charged with child sex crimes in Guilford County. Kinzie worked with the Northern Wake Fire Department from 2019 to February of 2024.

Garner couple charged with making child porn

Darryl Edwin Foley, 34, and Carmen Delia Foley, 31, are facing multiple charges related to child sex crimes.

WRAL staff

Deputies: Wilson man arrested, charged with sex crimes against children

According to the Nash County Sheriff's Office, deputies received two reports of sexual abuse involving children and the agency's special victims unit began a detailed investigation. Authorities developed a suspect after the Children's Advocacy Center of Rocky Mount conducted interviews with the victims.

WRAL staff

Defense pushes for sex abuse case tied to Raleigh church to be thrown out

Kenneth Newcomer, a 62-year-old Raleigh man, is accused of sexually abusing a child at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church between 2007 and 2009. Newcomer's attorney, William Finn, claims that the evidence does not support the claims and that the case should be dismissed.

Raleigh man accused of child sex abuse at church fights to clear his name

Kenneth Newcomer, a 62-year-old Raleigh man, is accused of sexually abusing a child at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church between 2007 and 2009. Newcomer's attorney, William Finn, claims that the evidence does not support the claims and that the case should be dismissed.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

Man who worked with Durham after-school program charged with sexual assault of a minor, indecent liberties with student

Durham police have charged a man who worked in an after-school program with multiple child sex crimes. Oscar D. Reyes, 20, of Raleigh was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 27.

Carly Haynes, WRAL reporter

Nash County man charged with 10 counts of child sex exploitation

A Nash County man is charged with 10 counts of felony third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Wrestling coach charged with indecent liberties; warrant says he livestreamed boys

A Raleigh business owner and private wrestling coach is accused of inappropriate activity with youth he advised and traveled with out of the country.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

Robeson County teacher accused of sending inappropriate pictures and texts to a student

Wyvis Oxendine Jr. is charged with second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, indecent liberties with a student and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

WRAL Staff

Ayden Middle School teacher facing child sex charges in Virginia

WITN reports a Pitt County middle school teacher is accused of sexual crimes against children that happened more than 20 years ago.

WITN staff

79-year-old man charged with 4 counts of indecent liberties with child

Herbert Lee Amyx, 79, has been charged with four counts of indecent liberties with a child. The arrest warrant said the incidents happened in May of 2022 with a child under the age of 16.

WRAL staff

72-year-old Cary man charged with felony child sex crimes

A 72-year-old Cary man facing charges for child sex crimes is in jail without bond.

Pest control employee arrested for rape of Tarboro juvenile inside apartment

An employee of Morgan Pest Control is facing charges after Tarboro police said he forcibly raped a juvenile inside an apartment.

Pest control employee arrested for rape of Tarboro teenage girl inside apartment

An employee of Morgan Pest Control is facing charges after Tarboro police said he forcibly raped a 15-year-old girl inside an apartment.

Heidi Kirk, WRAL eastern North Carolina reporter

Two Apex men accused of sharing child porn on Discord app

Two Apex men were charged with numerous counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators said they were caught sharing child pornography on a social media app.

WRAL staff

19-year-old charged with selling child pornography held on $2 million bond

Cole Robert Perota, 19, faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for allegedly making copies of child porn that he sold for money.

WRAL staff

'Just glad she was alive': Relative relieved Fayetteville teen survived being trapped in Kentucky man's home

Authorities found the teen inside the home after searching the property and discovering the trap door. The teen admitted to authorities the suspect lured her from her home in North Carolina after lying about his age and threatened to shoot a deputy during a traffic stop.

Liz McLaughlin, WRAL climate change reporter, Gilbert Baez, WRAL Fayetteville reporter and Chris Lovingood, WRAL anchor/reporter

Hundreds of images of child sexual abuse found in dataset used to train AI image-generating tools

New York (CNN) -- More than a thousand images of child sexual abuse material were found in a massive public dataset used to train popular AI image-generating models, Stanford Internet Observatory researchers said in a study published earlier this week.

By Catherine Thorbecke, CNN