(Press release from Yancey Sheriff’s Department)
On April 12th, 2024, Detective Jason Edmonds of the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office received a Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This tip, originating from NCMEC’s Cyber Tip line, represents a critical component in the nation’s fight against online exploitation of children.
NCMEC staff review each tip and work to identify the potential locations for reported incidents, so that it may be made available to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for a thorough investigation. Following this protocol, Yancey County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jason Edmonds, alongside Agents from Homeland Security, executed a search warrant on May 2nd, 2024, at a residence located in the south end of Yancey County.
An onsite analysis of devices recovered from the residence revealed multiple files depicting apparent child pornography. Subsequently, these devices were seized and handed over to Homeland Security for further analysis.
As a result, Dickie Wayne Hayes, aged 63, formerly of Charlotte, North Carolina, and currently residing in Burnsville, was arrested and charged with (10) Counts of Felony Third Degree Sex Exploitation of Minor and (10) Counts of Felony Second Degree Sex Exploitation of Minor.
Hayes is currently being held in the Yancey County Detention Center under a $200,000 secure bond.
