The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged Allen W. Thornton with five counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Thornton, 20, Goldsboro, received a $50,000 bond.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is a member of the NC Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force (NC ICAC).

Detectives assigned to the task force initiated an investigation after receiving multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sexual abuse material.

As a result of the investigation, Thornton was identified by information provided by the cybertips and was found to have electronic material depicting child sexual exploitation.

NC ICAC is part of a nationwide organization of task forces dedicated to protecting children from online dangers.