Mills River Man Charged in Child Exploitation Case

Henderson County -- The Henderson County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, carried out a search warrant at a Mills River Community home on Wednesday.

John Thomas Duncan, age 37, was arrested and charged with two counts of Second-Degree Exploitation of a Minor.

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 ongoing 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 dedicated to ensuring the safety of all children and vigilant in their pursuit of those who prey on them. Sheriff Griffin extends his gratitude to our local, state, and federal partners for their assistance in this investigation.
We encourage anyone with additional information regarding John Thomas Duncan to contact our office or use the “submit a tip” feature available on our mobile app.

                               John Dustin Thomas

WNCTimes

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