SBI arrests man on child pornography charges

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — An SBI undercover investigation led to the arrest of a New Hanover County man.

Timothy Mitchell Leary, 44, is charged with 12 counts of 2nd Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

An SBI spokeswoman says the SBI’s Computer Crimes Unit arrested Leary at his home on Thursday.  The charges stem from files recovered earlier in the year. On March 30, the SBI executed a search warrant on Leary’s home.  The SBI says a forensic examination of the devices taken from the home revealed several child pornography images and videos.

Leary is in the New Hanover County Jail under a $900,000 secured bond.