Henderson County Sheriff's Office Press Release June 18, 2026: On June 16, 2026, the Henderson County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) arrested two (2) individuals following investigations related to the possession and sharing of Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM).
Shane Wesley PENLEY, 66, was charged with the following offenses: 3 counts of Third Degree Exploitation of a Minor, 3 counts of Second Degree Exploitation of a Minor. PENLEY was arrested without incident and is currently in custody of the Henderson County Detention Center.
Timothy Don ARNOLD, 61, was charged with the following offenses: 6 counts of Third Degree Exploitation of a Minor, 6 counts of Second Degree Exploitation of a Minor. ARNOLD was arrested without incident and is currently in custody of the Henderson County Detention Center.
Under North Carolina General Statute 14-190.17A - A person commits the offense of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor if, knowing the character or content of the material, he possesses a child sex doll or material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaging in sexual activity or that has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexual activity.
Under North Carolina General Statute 14-190.17 - A person commits the offense of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor if, knowing the character or content of the material, the person does any of the following: Records, photographs, films, develops, or duplicates material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity. Distributes, transports, exhibits, receives, sells, purchases, exchanges, or solicits material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity or that has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaged in sexual activity.
This incident is part of an on-going investigation, and no other information will be released at this time.
In a court of law all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Henderson County ICAC Task Force is a unit made up of investigators from the Henderson County Sheriffs Office and Hendersonville Police Department. They are dedicated to their pursuit and apprehension of predators who exploit and abuse children. Guided by compassion for victims, driven by vigilance against those who seek to harm them, committed to the pursuit of justice, and with unwavering courage, they stand united in defense of the innocent. Sheriff Griffin and Chief Myhand extend their gratitude to our local and state partners for their assistance in this investigation.
We encourage anyone with additional information regarding Shane Weley PENLEY or Timothy Don ARNOLD to contact our office or use the “submit a tip” feature available on our mobile app
.