Delco Man Held Without Bond After Sex Offense Investigation Leads To New Charges

DELCO NC — A Delco man with a prior child‑pornography conviction has been arrested again after detectives say they found pornography involving a teenager and uncovered violations of North Carolina’s sex‑offender registration laws.

Caleb Spurling, 27, of 3545 Water Tank Road, was taken into custody during the pre‑dawn hours on charges of failure to register as a sex offender and third‑degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to warrants filed with the Columbus County Clerk of Court.

Detention center records show Spurling was held under no bond following his arrest.

Failure To Register: Email Address Not Reported

Warrants state that Spurling failed to notify the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office of an email address — afropictures100@gmail.com — in May. Under North Carolina law, registered sex offenders must report all online identifiers, including email addresses, to the sheriff’s office that manages their registration.

Alleged Payment To Teen For Sexual Images

Investigators say Spurling paid a teenage girl $1,500 for photographs of her engaging in sexual activity. Those images were later recovered during the investigation, according to the warrant narrative.

Prior Conviction Confirmed

The N.C. Sex Offender Registry lists Spurling as a registered offender with a 2019 conviction in Delaware for dealing in child pornography. He served 22 months in prison and is required to remain on the registry for a minimum of 10 years.

Sex offenders are often restricted from using social media platforms and must disclose email addresses and other online accounts to law enforcement.

Case Status

Spurling remains in custody and is expected to appear in district court later this month.

Any individuals listed are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Charges and case statuses may change as investigations and court proceedings continue.