24-04-2025
Eight arrested in Mooresville crackdown on online child exploitation
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A multi-agency effort led by the Mooresville Police Department resulted in eight arrests tied to internet crimes against children.
Dubbed 'Operation Millstone,' the initiative brought together 78 personnel from 21 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Those arrested ranged in age from 25 to 91 and allegedly used various online platforms to solicit minors.
Charges include felony solicitation of a child by computer, with some suspects also facing charges for appearing to meet a minor. Mooresville Police said this operation was built upon 'Operation Artemis,' a 2024 investigation that led to 15 arrests.
The eight individuals taken into custody include:
Damon Jefferson, 25, Salisbury – Felony solicitation and appearing; $250,000 bond
Judson Creech II, 36, Mooresville – Felony solicitation and appearing; $30,000 bond
Jorge Armondo Martinez, 37, Charlotte – Felony solicitation and appearing; $30,000 bond
Ismael Vazquez, 33, Charlotte – Felony solicitation and appearing; $30,000 bond
James David Courtney, 91, Lexington, SC – Felony solicitation; $50,000 bond
Eddie Rigdon, 72, Leland – Felony solicitation; $2,500 bond
William Dane Tobey, 75, Salisbury – Felony solicitation and appearing; $30,000 bond
Manuel Crispin Gonzalez, 35, Winston-Salem – Misdemeanor charges unrelated to solicitation; $1,000 bond
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