New Hanover County man arrested for sex crimes against children

June 18, 2025

WWAY News,

The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office arrested Jonathan Durham and charged him with sexual exploitation of a minor. Photo: Courtesy of New Hanover County Sheriff's Office

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man for sex crimes against children.

NHCSO says on May 30, a citizen found a USB drive in Olsen Park and turned it into law enforcement. The USB drive contained multiple images of CSAM (child sexual abuse material) along with some “normal” images and metadata. Detectives in the Digital Evidence Lab were able to use that metadata to find a geolocation and identify Jonathan Durham as being the alleged owner of the USB drive.

Durham was arrested for two counts of 2nd degree sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of 3rd degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was transported to the New Hanover County Detention Facility where he received a $200,000 secured bond. NHCSO says is an ongoing investigation.