Post by Shuftin on Aug 19, 2006 23:21:02 GMT -5
August 18th, 2006
The Landis chief of police has been arrested on felony charges of child solicitation and child pornography, authorities said.
Charles Raymond Childers, 50, was detained in Greensboro on Thursday while state and federal agents raided his China Grove home and the Landis Police Department for evidence.
Childers has been on the police force in Rowan County for 26 years.
The arrest resulted from an undercover operation carried out by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in North Carolina and Michigan and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
"Unfortunately child predators can be anyone," said Attorney General Roy Cooper. "Our investigators are working to hunt down these predators, no matter how they prey on children or who they are."
According to officials with the State Bureau of Investigation, Childers had sexually graphic conversations online with an undercover SBI agent posing as a teenage girl. They said he also sent child pornography and sexual images of himself.
During a press conference Thursday afternoon, investigators revealed that in December 2005 Childers fondled himself on a live video connection to a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Then, in March 2006, Childers asked the person to meet him, investigators said. At one point he told the girl to get the images off her computer because they could get him in trouble, authorities said.
The criminal complaint even states that Childers would talk to the undercover officer from his office at the police department before going home to stream video of himself on the Internet. It also accuses him of asking for a pair of panties and giving his police department's post office box as an address.
The hard drive from Childers' computer at the police department has been confiscated.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner with the help of a new law that makes it a felony for an Internet predator to solicit anyone, including an undercover agent, who he or she believes to be a child.
If convicted, Childers will have to join the state's sex offender registry and provide DNA samples to the state's convicted offender database.
Childers faces charges of distributing child pornography and using a computer to persuade, induce or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Neighbor Expresses Her Shock
Childers' neighbor Michell Paffenroth said she is completely surprised by the allegations.
"It's just crazy; we had no idea. I have two small children," she said.
Paffenroth said it's his position that makes it much more unbelievable.
"That's even worse he's supposed to be protecting and serving our community, and they're not supposed to be doing things like that," she said. "It's just disturbing; I was very dumbfounded. I can't find the words."
Fellow Officer Said It Had To Be Done
China Grove Police Chief Hodge Coffield has worked with Childers for years and was just as surprised as the rest of the Rowan County community.
"A lot of officers are just really stunned by the investigation and the circumstances coming out," he said.
Hodge said it's an arrest that had to be made, but he is sorry it was an officer. He said the event tarnishes law enforcement's reputation.
"We wish this hadn't happened, and it will be a mark against law enforcement in this area," he said.
The Landis chief of police has been arrested on felony charges of child solicitation and child pornography, authorities said.
Charles Raymond Childers, 50, was detained in Greensboro on Thursday while state and federal agents raided his China Grove home and the Landis Police Department for evidence.
Childers has been on the police force in Rowan County for 26 years.
The arrest resulted from an undercover operation carried out by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in North Carolina and Michigan and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
"Unfortunately child predators can be anyone," said Attorney General Roy Cooper. "Our investigators are working to hunt down these predators, no matter how they prey on children or who they are."
According to officials with the State Bureau of Investigation, Childers had sexually graphic conversations online with an undercover SBI agent posing as a teenage girl. They said he also sent child pornography and sexual images of himself.
During a press conference Thursday afternoon, investigators revealed that in December 2005 Childers fondled himself on a live video connection to a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Then, in March 2006, Childers asked the person to meet him, investigators said. At one point he told the girl to get the images off her computer because they could get him in trouble, authorities said.
The criminal complaint even states that Childers would talk to the undercover officer from his office at the police department before going home to stream video of himself on the Internet. It also accuses him of asking for a pair of panties and giving his police department's post office box as an address.
The hard drive from Childers' computer at the police department has been confiscated.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner with the help of a new law that makes it a felony for an Internet predator to solicit anyone, including an undercover agent, who he or she believes to be a child.
If convicted, Childers will have to join the state's sex offender registry and provide DNA samples to the state's convicted offender database.
Childers faces charges of distributing child pornography and using a computer to persuade, induce or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Neighbor Expresses Her Shock
Childers' neighbor Michell Paffenroth said she is completely surprised by the allegations.
"It's just crazy; we had no idea. I have two small children," she said.
Paffenroth said it's his position that makes it much more unbelievable.
"That's even worse he's supposed to be protecting and serving our community, and they're not supposed to be doing things like that," she said. "It's just disturbing; I was very dumbfounded. I can't find the words."
Fellow Officer Said It Had To Be Done
China Grove Police Chief Hodge Coffield has worked with Childers for years and was just as surprised as the rest of the Rowan County community.
"A lot of officers are just really stunned by the investigation and the circumstances coming out," he said.
Hodge said it's an arrest that had to be made, but he is sorry it was an officer. He said the event tarnishes law enforcement's reputation.
"We wish this hadn't happened, and it will be a mark against law enforcement in this area," he said.