Catawba County, NC – A Hickory resident has been arrested following an investigation into suspected online child exploitation. The investigation began when the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID) received a cyber tip reporting possible illegal activity involving minors.
An investigation led to the identification and arrest of Dale Allen Parker, 59, of Hickory, NC.
Parker has been charged with ten (10) counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He is currently held in the Catawba County Detention Facility under a $100,000 secured bond. Parker has a court appearance scheduled for August 11, 2025.
“We will continue to identify and arrest individuals who use the internet to target children,” said Sheriff Don Brown. “There is no place for these crimes in our communites”.
Anyone with information about illegal internet activity is encouraged to submit a tip through our confidential tipline, 828-466-ATIP (2847), our website, or the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office mobile application.
