Alamance Online Sting Nets Arrest of Registered Sex Offender Seeking Minor

Jeremy James Prashaw, 46, of Nakina, was arrested in February 2026 after members of the Invictus Task Force, posing online as an underage female, say he sought sexual contact, authorities reported. The State Bureau of Investigation Computer Crimes Unit took Prashaw into custody at the request of the task force and charged him with one count of felony disseminate harmful material to a minor.

Prashaw was transported to the Columbus County Detention Center, where a magistrate issued no bond and scheduled a first appearance for Feb. 26, 2026, in Columbus County District Court. Court filings and booking details have not yet been released by Columbus County officials, and investigators say the case remains active.

Local officials identified Prashaw as a registered sex offender. The N.C. Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry shows a prior conviction; The Times-News reports that Prashaw "was convicted in South Carolina in 2013 of disseminating obscene material to a person under 18 years old, according to the N.C. Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry." That 2013 conviction is the only prior offense specifically cited in public records referenced by authorities so far.

The investigation was carried out by the multi-county Invictus Task Force working with the SBI Computer Crimes Unit. Randolph County’s public post describing the group states: "A joint effort of Randolph, Alamance, Davidson, and Forsyth Counties, the State Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security in the fight against internet crimes against children (ICAC), sexual abuse, trafficking and the exploitation of children using a collaboration of resources as a force multiplier." Some initial notices used the shorter phrasing "Invictus Force," while official postings refer to the Invictus Task Force.

Alamance County Sheriff’s Office and Invictus Task Force officials asked anyone with information to come forward. The Invictus Task Force representative can be reached at 336-570-6300; a posted Crime Stoppers contact was redacted in public notices. Randolph County’s informational post also included national resources: "If you believe you or someone you know may be a victim of child exploitation or trafficking, Call the national hotline for 24/7 assistance. 1-888-373-7888 or text 'HELP' to 233733."

Authorities have emphasized that undercover investigators posed as an underage female during the online contact that prompted the investigation. The SBI Computer Crimes Unit, the Alamance County Invictus Task Force representative, and Columbus County court officials have been named in public notices as the agencies handling custody, investigation, and initial court scheduling; investigators say the probe remains ongoing and asked the public to report any related information to the contacts above.