Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Arrests in New York and North Carolina

Two men were arrested in separate child exploitation investigations in New York and North Carolina. In Hornell, NY, 33-year-old Eugene Wade Hale was arrested after a search warrant executed in May uncovered contraband images on electronic devices, following a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In Monroe, NC, 44-year-old Matthew William Gaylord was arrested after a month-long, multi-agency investigation triggered by a CyberTipline report; he faces multiple charges including first-, second-, and third-degree sexual exploitation of minors, secret peeping, and drug possession. The Monroe Police Department collaborated with Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the investigation. Monroe Police Chief William Bolen highlighted the importance of interagency cooperation in protecting children and holding offenders accountable. Both individuals are currently held in local jails awaiting judicial proceedings, with the Monroe investigation ongoing.