UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Thomas Long, of Monroe, was arrested as part of an ongoing, multi-state child exploitation investigation, the Union County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release.
Long was convicted of sex offenses in 2106 and was required to register as a sex offender in Union County after he got out of prison.
An investigation that started this month led detectives to Utah where Long reportedly was soliciting sexually explicit material from an underage child, the Union County sheriff stated.
Investigators searched Long’s Union County home, which resulted in his arrest and the seizure of electronic devices used during the online exploitation offenses.
Long was soliciting sexually explicit material from underage children across the United States before his arrest, investigators said.
Long was using online identifiers that were not disclosed as part of his requirements to register as a convicted sex offender.
Long has been charged with numerous felony offenses including disclosure of private images, second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, failure to register as a sex offender (failure to report online identifiers), and solicitation of a child by computer.
“The defendant in this case has proven by his actions that he is an extreme danger to the public,” Sheriff Eddie Cathey said. “I am thankful that our investigative team could work with Utah officials to build a case leading to his arrest. From the initial investigation to the ongoing examinations of the devices seized, the results of this case are just another example of the comprehensive law enforcement services provided by the professional men and women of this office”.
This investigation is ongoing and additional criminal charges are likely.
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