Sex Offender Charged After Soliciting Child With Texts: Sheriff

MOORESVILLE, NC — An Iredell County registered sex offender was arrested this week, and charged with soliciting a 12-year-old girl in multiple text messages, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said Friday.

Arnold Joe Eberhart, 53, was arrested June 24 by Rowan County Sheriff’s deputies following an investigation, and was charged with soliciting a child by computer.

According to Campbell’s office, the sheriff’s department received a complaint from the girl’s parent on June 14 that Eberhart had sent their daughter “concerning text messages.”

Investigators determined that he had sent the girl multiple text messages in an attempt to meet him near her home.

“The text messages were sexual in nature and discussed about how Eberhart would like for her to meet him outside and how he wanted to commit a sexual act,” ICSO said in a statement.

Eberhart’s bond was set by a Rowan County magistrate at $8,000.

In 1995, Eberhart was convicted of second degree rape and was released from prison seven years later.

According to the Iredell County Sheriff’s office, Eberhart has numerous prior convictions, including felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony breaking and entering, felony larceny by employee, felony failure to notify address change by sex offender, and felony habitual breaking and entering.

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