Undercover child exploitation investigation leads to arrest of West End man

A West End man was arrested following an undercover child exploitation investigation.

Forty-nine-year-old Gregory Simmons was arrested on Tuesday, April 4, and was released from the Moore County Detention Center on a $5,500 unsecured bond.

The investigation began with the Leland Police Department.

“Simmons was charged with one count of felony Third Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, following an undercover investigation initiated with information provided to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with an investigation by the Leland Police Department (N.C.),” said Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields in a press release on Wednesday morning.

Fields said this is an ongoing investigation; no other details about the arrest were released.

“The Moore County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Leland Police Department, are members of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (NCICAC) Taskforce,” added Fields.

The suspect is expected in court on April 19 and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.