FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — The Invictus Task Force wants parents whose children may have had close contact with Ryen Haskins to talk to their kids.
Haskins has been charged with nine counts second-degree of sexual exploitation of a minor.
The task force also shared how they built their case.
“How most of these cases start is with what we call a cyber tip,” Investigator with Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the ITF Lucas Manning said.
This comes from an internet server from any big tech company like Verizon, Google or Instagram
“Provides information to where they feel one of their users is looking at child pornography,” Manning said.
That’s sent to the National Center For Missing Or Exploited Children until it trickles down to a local investigating agency. In this case, The FCSO is the agency.
“We then work as a task force and start that investigation,” said Manning.
Then they build a case and follow a legal process. Once they build enough evidence, it’s time to move swiftly to make an arrest.
“Show up, serve the search warrants … do our investigation of seizing devices, looking at devices and kind of going from there based on what we find,” Manning said.
Through those investigations, The FCSO was able to charge Haskins with nine counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor.
“Second is the pure possession, so it’s in their possession whether that be on the direct device … Old school way would be printouts or on a cloud service that they are in charge of,” Manning said.
“That child’s images or videos of them engaged in a sexual act is being exploited by the offender for sexual gratification,” Founder of The ITF Ray Dawson said.
Dawson says this is justice they work to serve daily.
“That’s what these charges are. We deal in the trading and solicitation of pictures and images … A lot of times we hear … ‘They’re just pictures,’ but what are they pictures of? And they’re depicting someone’s child … being sexually abused,” Dawson said.
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Investigators are still building a case against Haskins.
They say it will take time to identify the victims and pinpoint if any of them are local. That’s why the task force needs your help.
If you have any concerns after speaking with your child, please contact the FCSO or The ITF.