Arrest Made in Child Exploitation Investigation

PRESS RELEASE – The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Toby James Moorefield, 22, of Waynesville, on Friday, January 2, on the charges of First Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Indecent Liberties with a Minor, both felony offenses.

This investigation began from a CyberTip received through the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC). Detectives with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force initiated the investigation. A search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence of Mr. Moorefield, and evidence gathered during the investigation was presented to the Magistrate. As a result, and with assistance from the NC State Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Moorefield was charged and arrested on both offenses.

Mr. Moorefield is currently being held in the Haywood County Detention Center under no bond.

“𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞. 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 — 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.” ~ Sheriff Bill Wilke

Due to the age of the victim and the sensitive nature of this case, limited information will be released. Additionally, this is an active case.