Full Notification

In January 2017, Hope Mills Police Detectives became aware of an individual that was sending obscene videos, pictures, and text messages to a juvenile. Over the course of the following weeks, Detectives monitored the social media and phone accounts of the juvenile and, the suspect who was identified later in the investigation as Charles Edwards Richards, 18, of the 2600 block of Carolina Church Road in Parkton NC. During the course of their investigation, Detectives witnessed Richards sending obscene material to the Juvenile and, on Friday, March 31, 2017, Hope Mills Police Detectives executed a search warrant at Richards’ residence with the assistance of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. The Hope Mills Police Department also received significant assistance from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office with forensic, electronic data recovery during this case. Richards was arrested at his residence at the time the search warrant was executed and transported to the Cumberland County Detention Center where he was jailed under a $20,000.00 bond for the following charges:

2 Felony Counts of Indecent Liberties With a Minor
2 Felony Counts of Soliciting a Child by Computer to Commit Sex Acts
1 Felony Count of Disseminating Obscene Materials to a Minor