The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (NCICAC) Task Force, led a multi‑agency sex offender sting operation in July targeting individuals allegedly exploiting or attempting to exploit children in Lee County and surrounding counties.
“This proactive operation, conducted with the Invictus Task Force and multiple partner agencies, resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals on 68 charges related to sexual exploitation of minors and the solicitation of children by computer for sex acts,” said the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations in a press release on Wednesday. “All arrested individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”
Lee County Sheriff Brian Estes stated, “Protecting children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities. These arrests reflect the ongoing commitment of our office, and our local, state, and federal partners to identify and remove those who target the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Arrests and Charges
The following individuals were arrested in connection with the July operation:
On 07/07/2026, Michael Richard Shaw (37), of Gunter Lake Road, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 3 counts of Statutory Sex Offense with a Child by Adult
On 07/13/2026, Jerry Allen Smith (52), of Sheriff Watson Road, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 10 counts of Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
On 07/13/2026, Aaron Levi Harvey (31), of Chris Cole Road, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 3 counts of Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
On 07/13/2026, Kameron DeVaughn Petty (19), of Deep River Road, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 3 counts of Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
On 07/14/2026, Gregory Jones (60), of Edgewater Drive, Broadway, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 10 counts of Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
On 07/14/2026, Wayne David Morelock (67), of E Main Street, Albemarle, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 1 count of Solicitation of a Child by Computer to Commit Sex Acts
On 07/16/2026, George Worth Watson (67), of S Hwy 53, La Grange, KY, was arrested and charged with:
— 1 count of Solicitation of a Child by Computer to Commit Sex Acts
On 07/16/2026, Christian Cornell Cerrato (24), of W Harrington Avenue, Broadway, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 1 count of Second-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
On 07/17/2026, Bradley Kevin Lowe (41), of Parsons Mill Road, Castle Hayne, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 2 counts of Solicitation of a Child by Computer to Commit Sex Acts
On 07/17/2026, Daniel Ortiz Alvarado (22), of Buckhorn Road, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 8 counts of Second-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
On 07/31/2026, Bobby Eugene Malone (75), of Sheriff Watson Road, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 1 count of Solicitation of a Child by Computer to Commit Sex Acts
On 07/31/2026, Francis Osgood Yan (55), of Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada, was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with:
— 1 count of Solicitation of a minor by computer
— 1 count of Felony attempted statutory rape of a child under 15
— 1 count of indecent liberties with a minor
— 1 count of attempted statutory sex offense with a child under 15
— 3 counts of disseminating harmful material to a minor
— 12 additional charges with Las Vegas PD
On 07/20/2026, Jadon Michael Anderson (28), of 16th Street NE, Hickory, NC, was arrested in Rockingham County and charged with:
— 1 count of Solicitation of a minor by computer
— 1 count of Felony Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
— 1 count of indecent liberties with a minor
— 1 count of disseminating harmful material to a minor
On 07/15/2026, Christian Guerrero (19), of W Makepeace St, Sanford, NC, was arrested and charged with:
— 2 counts of Felony Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
Total Suspects: 14
Total Charges: 68
Partner Agencies
This NCICAC operation was conducted through coordination with the Invictus Task Force and the following partner agencies:
Lee County Sheriff’s Office
NC State Bureau of Investigation
Invictus Task Force
Alamance County Sheriff’s Office
Davidson County Sheriff’s Office
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
Randolph County Sheriff’s Office
Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office
Liberty Police Department
Burlington Police Department
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
Fayetteville Police Department
Mint Hill Police Department
Moore County Sheriff’s Office
Nashville Police Department
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office
Sanford Police Department
Siler City Police Department
Las Vegas Metro Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
Lee County District Attorney’s Office
Lee County School System
Piedmont Triad Airport Police
FBI – Las Vegas Field Office
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*Press release from the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation. File photo.
