An Eagle Springs man was arrested on charges of five counts of felony second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of felony third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields made the announcement in a press release on Wednesday.
“On March 26, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest resulting from an investigation into possible internet-based child sexually explicit material in Moore County following a report received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” said Fields regarding the investigation in Eagle Springs.
Erick Lopez-Cruz, 21, was arrested the same day by sheriff’s forensic specialists.
The suspect was jailed at the Moore County Detention Center under a $250,000 secured bond pending a first appearance in Moore County district court on April 8.
“The Moore County Sheriff’s Office is an active participant of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (NCICAC) Taskforce,” said Fields.
Defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Photo of Erick Lopez-Cruz provided by Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
