Three Western NC Men Charged in Child Exploitation Cases, Including Ex-Board Member

Three separate criminal matters connected to child exploitation are moving through Henderson County law enforcement and courts, including a high-profile defendant with a roughly $2.2 million bond and two recent arrests tied to Internet Crimes Against Children investigations.

George Stanley Conrad III, 28, identified as a Pisgah Forest man living in Hendersonville when the alleged offenses occurred, was arrested in Hendersonville on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Conrad is charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor - two counts second-degree and two counts third-degree - related to possession of child pornography, and he is being held without bond at the Henderson County Jail. Hendersonville Police Department detectives from the Internet Crimes Against Children unit opened the probe after receiving a tip and coordinated the investigation with the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office.

Hendersonville investigators told reporters that while child sexual abuse material is not a victimless crime, there are no known local victims at this time. Anyone with information about Conrad’s alleged offenses can contact the Hendersonville Police Department at 828-697-3025, email investigations@hvlnc.gov or submit tips through the department’s mobile app available in the iOS App Store and Google Play.

In a separate Henderson County action, 34-year-old Jared Michael Bernal was arrested without incident following execution of a search warrant at a home in the Etowah community. The Henderson County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations executed the warrant and took Bernal into custody. Deputies posted that Bernal is facing several charges related to the exploitation of a minor and peeping charges and that his arrest is part of an ongoing investigation. He is currently at the Henderson County Detention Center.

A third, earlier case involves Michael Lee Absher, a former Henderson County School Board member and founder of Only Hope WNC Inc., who was arrested in the summer of 2025 and later faced multiple counts alleging sexual offenses involving minors and human trafficking. A motion filed Feb. 2, 2026 shows the bond on those charges totals about $2.2 million. The filing argues Absher is not a flight risk, is the primary caregiver for his mother and has no prior criminal record. A former local youth shelter cut ties with Absher after the charges were made public. "A former Henderson County School Board member and the founder of Only Hope WNC Inc. is seeking a reduction of his $2.2 million bond after being charged with multiple child sex offenses and human trafficking," court filings state.

All three matters remain under active investigation and in custody status at Henderson County detention facilities while charging documents and court motions proceed through the local justice system. Journalists seeking court records or booking confirmations should consult the Henderson County clerk of court and Henderson County Detention Center for updated dockets and filings.