Rutherford County Man Charged with 55 Counts of 3rd- Degree Exploitation of a Minor, $1.1M Bond

Rutherford County -- February 18, 2024: John Thomas Trotter Jr. was the subject of a months-long investigation conducted by detectives with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division. 

These detectives are also members of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NCICAC).

Electronic devices were confiscated from Trotters' apartment following the execution of a search warrant in September 2023.
The internal digital forensic investigator of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office then received the devices. 52 photos and 2 films that were consistent with child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were found on the devices.
A grand jury in Rutherford County heard this case in January 2024, and the jury issued 55 indictments for Third Degree Exploitation of a Minor.

On Saturday, February 10th, 2024, John Thomas Trotter Jr., of Mooresboro, was arrested on 55 counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. Trotter is being held in the Rutherford County Detention Facility on a 1.1 million dollar secured bond.

Editor's Note:* A criminal charge is an accusation, by law, a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven in a court of law.

WNCTimes