Invictus Task Force Sting in Alamance County Arrests Jeremy Prashaw

Members of the multi-agency Invictus Task Force conducted an online undercover operation in February 2026 that identified and led to the arrest of registered sex offender Jeremy James Prashaw, investigators said; undercover officers posing as an underage female made contact and Prashaw "sought sexual contact with an undercover investigator posing as an underage woman." Prashaw was charged with one count of felony dissemination of harmful material to a minor.

The State Bureau of Investigation Computer Crimes Unit took Prashaw into custody at the request of the Invictus Task Force and transported him to the Columbus County Detention Center. At the detention center a magistrate issued no bond, and a first appearance was scheduled for Feb. 26, 2026, in Columbus County District Court.

Investigators say the inquiry into the online contacts remains active. "The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Alamance County Invictus Task Force representative," officials advised; initial media reports did not include a specific phone number or email for the task force contact. For immediate help or to report suspected child exploitation, the Invictus Project lists a national hotline: 1-888-373-7888, or text "HELP" to 233733. The Invictus Project is based at 403 North Main St., Troy, NC 27371.

The Invictus Task Force is a specialized coalition that unites the Randolph, Alamance, Davidson and Forsyth County Sheriff's Offices with Homeland Security Investigations and the State Bureau of Investigation; the Invictus Project nonprofit provides supplemental funding and technological support for investigations and frames its mission as "Protecting Childhood, Pursuing Justice." The nonprofit says the partnership "prioritizes the victim and ensures perpetrator prosecution," and provides investigative tools to support both proactive and reactive online operations.

This arrest follows a larger undercover campaign by the same task force last year called Operation Ghost Wire, conducted Oct. 13-24, 2025, across Alamance, Randolph and Forsyth Counties. That operation resulted in 23 arrests, four children saved from ongoing abuse, one registered sex offender among those arrested and three illegal immigrants taken into custody; during a week of Ghost Wire, 18 arrests occurred in Alamance County and 14 of those arrested were Alamance residents. Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson said after Ghost Wire, "We as law enforcement agencies and officers need to ensure that our children are not going to become victims of these sexual predators. I don’t care what it takes to stop this from happening."

Operation Ghost Wire included cases with significant bonds and a range of charges: for example, Logan James Conley of Archdale was listed with a $1,000,000 bond on a failure-to-register-online-identifiers charge, Ervin Blankenship of Asheboro faced a $250,000 bond on three counts of failure to register online identifiers, and Dustin Drake Young in Forsyth County, identified as a registered sex offender, faced seven counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor with a $500,000 bond.

Prashaw remains in custody at the Columbus County Detention Center pending the court process on the single felony dissemination count; investigators say the probe continues and officials have asked anyone with relevant information to contact the Alamance County Invictus Task Force representative.