UPDATE: Officials say additional evidence has been found that indicates Churchwell had previous sexual encounters with children.
According to reports, Churchwell had no previous criminal history aside from traffic violations. Following his arrest however, Lincolnton Police and CMPD searched his Charlotte home and found evidence that he had participated in sexual acts with children in the past.
“Evidence discovered in this case shows that Churchwell possessed pornographic and obscene pictures of children. This evidence has been seized and an effort will be made to determine the possible sources of the images and to try to locate and identify any potential victims from the evidence. All resources available will be utilized in an effort to locate and identify the victims as well as to determine the chain of distribution, if any, of the images” said Lt. Jason Munday of the Lincolnton Police Department.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.
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LINCOLNTON, NC– Police say they arrested a man after a month long investigation into child sex crimes.
Jeffrey Alan Churchwell, 51, was arrested after undercover detectives portraying a child on various social media outlets organized a sting.
Officers say they developed a dialogue with Churchwell in which an agreement was made to meet the “child” in Lincolnton to engage in unlawful sex acts.
When Churchwell arrived to meet the “child” he was arrested without incident.
Authorities charged Churchwell with one count of soliciting a child for an unlawful sex act by a computer and appearing to meet such child, four counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor and one count of third degree sexual exploitation of a child.
