PENDER COUNTY — A 28-year-old man has been arrested from Rocky Point with five charges involving sexual exploitation of minors.
Detectives with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office arrested Kunyri Nickerson on Jan. 29 after an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation. According to arrest warrants, Nickerson allegedly duplicated material showing minor females from the ages of 10 to 15 years old in varied sexual acts. The warrants indicate the offense date was Jan. 21, 2026.
He faces five felonies of Second-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, which if found guilty carry a Class E sentence. That means a person could serve anywhere from more than a year to five years in prison, depending on their record.
According to the conditions of release, Nickerson has been charged with other crimes — “extensive with multiple convictions” — in the last 10 years. When arrested, Nickerson was under probation for possession of schedule II controlled substance in Brunswick County and was found in violation. It’s the second time in less than a year he broke probation, as he tested positive for methamphetamines according to a violation from March 2025.
Nickerson was appointed a public defender in the felony sexual exploitation case and received a $100,000 secured bond during his first appearance on Jan. 30.
Anyone with information related to this case or suspected crimes against children is encouraged to contact the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.
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