CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC — A Peachtree community man has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of child sexual exploitation following an investigation sparked by online reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Corey Benjamin Sneed, 39, was taken into custody without incident after investigators linked him to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. He now faces 20 felony charges — ten counts each of Second-Degree and Third-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

The investigation began after Google and the social platform MeetMe submitted CyberTipline reports to NCMEC, indicating that Sneed had uploaded material suspected to contain child sexual abuse content. These tips were reviewed by a detective from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force within the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, who determined the content met the legal threshold for the charges under North Carolina law.

On August 15, 2025, a multi-agency operation involving the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s Computer Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at Sneed’s residence. During the search, detectives seized multiple electronic devices, including several cell phones.

Sneed was interviewed at the scene. A forensic analysis of the devices later revealed multiple files containing child sexual abuse material. Based on this evidence, authorities obtained arrest warrants on August 20, and Sneed was apprehended shortly thereafter.

He is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center under two separate bonds: one secured at $100,000 and another with no bond, as set by a North Carolina magistrate.

In the wake of the arrest, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s online activity and remain vigilant about potential threats. More information and resources for reporting suspicious activity can be found at the NCMEC’s official website: missingkids.org.

Anyone with further information about this case or other incidents of child exploitation is encouraged to contact Detective Nolan Queen at (828) 835-4975.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.