Cameron Deshan Harrison, 28, of Claremont, was sentenced to serve 12 to 24 years in prison following his conviction for two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, in Catawba County Superior Court.
The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Harrison entered the 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.
Investigators with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office received an Internet Crimes Against Children tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children against the defendant in April 2024, alleging that he was in possession of images that showed child sexual abuse material.
Harrison’s phone was confiscated by Catawba County investigators via search warrant and reviewed. They found numerous text messages between the defendant and a teenage minor female in Maryland.
They found that numerous images were being made by the victim at the request of the defendant. There also was evidence to show that Harrison left North Carolina and went to Maryland where he met the victim.
Law enforcement also found two other cell phones belonging to the defendant that showed text messages revealing he had continued contact with the victim.
Emma Moore investigated the case for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Jessica Phillips prosecuted the matter for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Dea Crowe.