Another High Profile Child Predator Bust For North Carolina

This week, news of the arrest of the human resources director for the North Carolina Department of Revenue has rocked Raleigh. Harlan Frye, of Greensboro, was arrested on June 9 in California for allegedly trying to meet a 15-year-old male for sex.

The N.C. Department of Revenue confirmed to WRAL that Frye served as the HR Director from April 4, 2022, until June 10, 2024.

Frye joined the state in 1993 and was later promoted to HR director for the N.C. Department of Revenue.

In his LinkedIn bio, Frye claims to have served as a youth basketball coach in Raleigh and Los Angeles.

Guardian Angels

Thankfully, 62-year-old Frye was apprehended in a sting operation, where the teenager he intended to meet turned out to be an undercover cyber vigilante.

USA TODAY ran a profile this week on "predator catchers," groups of concerned citizens with a mission to catch and hold accountable people they believe are exploiting children. 

And these groups are widespread. USA TODAY found that these groups are active in 75% of states across America. They have no formal national organization and operate a loose network of like-minded individuals with large social media followings.

In Our Backyard

Recently, Mooresville, North Carolina, witnessed the largest child predator bust in its history, with 14 accused pedophiles being arrested for attempting to exploit minors over the internet. This alarming event is a stark reminder of the disturbing trend of child exploitation that plagues not just America as a whole but our very own communities here in North Carolina.

The methods employed by these predators are chilling, demonstrating the lengths they'll go to target our children and the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting our young ones.

The predators involved in the Mooresville bust ranged in age from 25 to 78 and utilized various online platforms to target children as young as 13.

However, their evil tactics didn't stop there.

These predators have found ways to infiltrate children's lives offline, exploiting vulnerabilities that go far beyond the reach of parental supervision.

A particularly terrifying example is how they leverage services like DoorDash to potentially meet children when they order food at school or home.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has reported a staggering 589 percent increase in cyber tips related to these crimes, indicating that the danger is escalating while more people are coming forward.

This issue isn't isolated merely to Mooresville; similar cases have been reported in Union, Randolph, Wake, and Burke counties, among others.

It is heartening to know that vigilant sheriff's offices across the state are ramping up their efforts to catch these perverts, ensuring they face justice.