Catawba County Man Sentenced To Prison For Sexual Exploitation Of Minor

28-year-old Cameron Deshan Harrison of Claremont was sentenced to serve 12-to-24 years in prison following his conviction on two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor on Tuesday in Catawba County Superior Court. The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, handed down the sentence after Harrison entered a guilty plea.

The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections. He will be required to register as a sex offender for a period of 30 years.

The case began when the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office received an Internet Crimes Against Children tip from the National Center of Missing & Exploited Children in April 2024. The tip alleged that Harrison was in possession of images that showed child sexual abuse material.

A search warrant was issued and Harrison’s phone was confiscated and reviewed. Investigators found numerous text messages between the defendant and a teenage minor female in Maryland. They found that numerous images had been made by the victim at the request of the defendant. There also was evidence indicating that Harrison left North Carolina and went to Maryland where he met the victim. Officers also found two other cell phones belonging to the defendant that showed text messages indicating that Harrison had continued contact with the victim.

Story: Ralph Mangum-WHKY