By Beth Lawrence
A Sylva man is facing more than a dozen felony charges for allegedly receiving sexually explicit materials involving children.
Gerald Wayne Hayes, 57, of Nicol Arms Road, Sylva was arrested for 13 felony counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Hayes was arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office following the issuance of a warrant for arrest on April 9.
He allegedly knowingly downloaded or otherwise obtained child sexual abuse materials on April 5. It is unclear from the warrants whether the images are video or photos.
According to the warrants, Wayne had a “visual representation of a minor approximate age of the child is 10-13 years old engaged in sexual activity.”
In another image, a 13–15-year-old girl is being forced to have sex with an unknown adult male. A third image allegedly in Hayes’ possession shows a seven to nine-year-old nude little girl forced into sex.
In the remaining counts female children estimated to range in age from seven to 16 years old are depicted naked or partially clothed often with their genitalia exposed either performing a sex act or posing, according to the warrants.
It is not clear from the warrants whether Hayes knew any of the alleged victims or if the images were computer generated.
Previously called child porn, the moniker of such images has been changed to child sexual abuse materials in recent years to more accurately depict what is occurring in the images, the sexual victimization of children.
The invention of the internet has helped to proliferate the materials, and the creation of artificial intelligence has made it even easier to produce and obtain.
AI has raised new questions and unknowns around accessing and having CSAM images such as what are the real-world impact and is it a gateway to real world sexual abuse, AWAKE Child Advocacy Center Director Crystal Jones said.
If convicted on all 13 counts, Hayes could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Second degree sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class E felony carrying a maximum punishment of 59 months imprisonment.
Hayes remains in Jackson County Detention Center under a $300,000 secured bond.
