NC man ‘extreme danger’ to children after sex crime allegations, prosecutor says
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — A High Point man facing more than 60 charges related to the alleged sexual exploitation of minors made his first court appearance on Friday.
Spencer Allen Kearns, 31, is facing over 60 charges relating to the possession or dissemination of child sex abuse material. The investigation began in June when the High Point Police Department detective assigned to the Triad ICAC Task Force received reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Altogether, Kearns was charged with:
- 59 counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- Four counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor
- Two counts of disseminating harmful material
The allegations are dated between 2022 and 2024.
After his arrest on Thursday, detectives executed a search warrant at Kearns’ home on Baytree Court and they seized dozens of electronic devices. Neighbors say they saw at least a dozen police cars there for several hours.
Spencer Allen Kearns during a remote court appearance
”If you are convicted of all of those charges combined, you could receive a maximum exposure of up to 1,309 years, the rest of your natural life,” Judge Trip Baker told Kearns during a remote court appearance.
The prosecution says the case started with a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and went on to say a detective reviewed a massive amount of material in this investigation.
The prosecutor says that law enforcement believes there are “quite a few victims.”
“The detective wrote this in his short summary. It doesn’t include much facts. I don’t have much yet. The tens of thousands and thousands of files he’s reviewed showed a daily pattern of grooming, exploitation and predatory behavior towards children between the ages of 11 and 17 years old,” said the prosecutor.
The prosecutor also said one of the warrants in this case details allegations that Kearns allegedly encouraged a 13-year-old girl to send sexually explicit images of herself.
“Most of the charges that I’ve read so far include very similar activities. According to the detective, this is something that he has been doing repeatedly. These charges range from December 2022 to July of 2024,” said the prosecutor.
High Point police say investigators believe Kearns may have contacted additional victims through Snapchat.
Kearns’ mother and father sat in the courtroom during Friday’s hearing. His father addressed the judge.
“For the bond, I’m just going to let you know that, with his mother sitting back there, he currently was living in our home and, you know, we’re both retired, so we would be in the house 24/7 … and I don’t think he is a flight risk,” said Spencer Kearns’ father.
The prosecutor asked for him to continue to be held with no bond and said, “He is an extreme danger to the children of the community.”
The judge left Kearns bond status as a hold. He remains in the Guilford County Detention Center.
Multi-state probe leads to arrest of Valdosta man on 36 child sex abuse felonies
VALDOSTA, Ga. -- A 40-year-old man is facing 36 felony charges after a six-week investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse in Valdosta dating back several years.
On Aug. 13, 2026, detectives with the Valdosta Police Department were notified of possible sexual abuse that had occurred within the city limits of Valdosta between 2019 and 2023. Investigators determined that Raphael Burns sexually abused two children who, at the time, were under the age of 11. Police said both victims knew Burns and were sexually assaulted multiple times over four years.
During the six-week investigation, Valdosta police detectives worked with law enforcement agencies in Michigan and Louisiana, along with Child Advocacy Centers in both states and in Lowndes County.
On Sept. 24, 2026, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Burns on the following charges: six counts of rape, 12 counts of aggravated child molestation, six counts of child molestation, six counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, and six counts of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 16. All charges are felonies.
Detectives worked with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, where Burns was living, and he was taken into custody Sept. 30, 2026. Burns is being held at the jail in the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office until he is extradited to Lowndes County.
“These young victims showed incredible strength and courage by coming forward and speaking out against someone they trusted, who abused them for years. I hope that they continue to use this same strength, as they face the tough times ahead of them,” said Chief Leslie Manahan. “I want to recognize the tremendous teamwork between all of these agencies working together on this investigation. Through the combined efforts, this offender will be held accountable for his actions.”
11-year-old girl found delinquent on sexual abuse charges in the assault of 5-year-old girl
CLEVELAND — A judge has found an 11-year-old girl delinquent in connection with the assault of a 5-year-old girl a year ago, on charges that include rape, strangulation and attempted murder.
In Ohio's juvenile court system, a finding of delinquency is the equivalent of a guilty verdict in adult court.
“Each of these facts demonstrate and persuade the court, by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, that the purpose of M.H.’s actions was an attempt to cause death,” said Judge Kristin Sweeney. Judge Sweeney was clear and detailed in her findings, pointing to one name that appeared repeatedly in the testimony of three children who were also involved in the attack.
“M.B. testified several times that M.H. was trying to kill the 5-year-old. He testified that M.H. put the 5-year-old on her scooter and led them to the woods or the field,” said Judge Sweeney.
The judge also highlighted that those same three children helped adults find the little girl in the field just moments after the attack.
“Because they knew how badly she had been hurt and how important it was for her to get help. In contrast, despite being asked multiple times, ‘Where is the little girl?’ M.H. never answered that question,” said Judge Sweeney.
M.H. was found delinquent on all charges, including attempted murder, rape, felonious assault, strangulation and kidnapping.
“M.H. is the only person the 5-year-old named in every single instance when asked who hurt her or why she was in the hospital,” said Judge Sweeney.
When the decision was read, M.H.’s family did not react, while the victim’s family broke down in tears and cheered.
A year after taking to social media to tell the world what happened to her daughter, Antavia Kennibrew says Friday’s decision brought a sense of relief.
"I was just hoping somebody would help me fight, and they did, and my baby, she got her justice,” said Kennibrew.
But for Kennibrew, the fight isn’t over. She still wants M.H. to receive the maximum punishment allowed.
“I want her to know that she should never do this. Like, she needs to be able to live with that every day. … She’s a demon, and she needs to be held accountable,” said Kennibrew.
WATCH MORE ABOUT THE CASE:
The ruling came after three days of testimony. During the proceedings, the other juvenile charged in case 10-year-old "MB" testified after previously admitting to charges in the case and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors.
The case now moves to the disposition phase, which is the juvenile court equivalent of sentencing. MB's disposition will be November 20th.
A disposition hearing for the 11-year-old is scheduled for November 18th. Because the case involves juveniles, state law limits additional details about the children and court proceedings.
The charges
On Oct. 15, 2025, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office announced that the then 10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy were charged with allegedly assaulting the 5-year-old girl in a wooded area off East 148th Street in September 2025.
They were initially charged with:
- One count of attempted murder
- Four counts of rape
- Two counts of felonious assault
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of strangulation
The other charges the boy was facing were dropped amid his plea change.
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- 10-year-old boy admits to charges in assault case involving 5-year-old girl
- 9-year-old boy accused of attacking 5-year-old arraigned
- 10-year-old girl accused of attacking 5-year-old arraigned
What happened?
The 5-year-old's mother, Antavia Kennibrew, said she dropped her daughter off at a family member's home on Sept. 13, 2025. Later that day, she received a phone call saying her daughter had left the house on her own and was missing.
A police report stated that a witness saw three juveniles, whom police previously said in a statement were all under the age of 10, take her to a wooded area in the 1000 block of East 148th Street and physically and sexually assault her.
The specifics of the assault are too disturbing to share, but details in the police report support Kennibrew's claim that her daughter was viciously attacked.
Kennibrew said she met her daughter after the incident in an ambulance, and the girl was unconscious and covered in dirt, blood and bruises.
The Cleveland Division of Police Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit investigated the case.
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