A Pinehurst man has been charged with multiple felony offenses following a months-long investigation involving child sexual abuse material, according to the Pinehurst Police Department.
Joseph Edward Byrne, 63, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 1, after Pinehurst Police detectives and agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at a home on Lake Forest Drive SW.
Byrne was charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Police said Byrne is in custody and will be transported to the Moore County Detention Center.
The investigation began in May after Pinehurst Police detectives received a cyber tip concerning an individual in the community suspected of possessing or distributing child sexual abuse material, commonly referred to as CSAM.
During the investigation, detectives seized multiple electronic devices and other materials from the suspect’s residence. Those items were analyzed with assistance from the NCSBI.
Police said detectives, assisted by NCSBI agents, executed an additional search warrant Thursday at 25 Lake Forest Drive SW and served arrest warrants on Byrne.
“This case is deeply disturbing, and I am saddened to confront allegations of this nature in our community,” Pinehurst Police Chief Glen Webb said. “It involves child sexual abuse images depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Behind each image is a real child who has suffered deliberate harm that will last a lifetime.”
Webb said investigations involving child sexual abuse material are highly technical and credited Pinehurst detectives and the NCSBI for their work on the case.
“The Pinehurst Police Department will pursue those responsible, whoever they are and wherever they are,” Webb said.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police said additional charges are possible.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A Moore County native who has spent more than 20 years telling stories across North Carolina and beyond. He’s worked with CNN, WRAL, and CBS 17, and now serves as a Video Journalist for ABC11. Patrick has a passion for breaking news and has earned multiple awards for his coverage. He’s also a certified NWS SKYWARN Storm Spotter and was among the first news videographers in the state to become an FAA-certified drone pilot.
