Morganton man charged with sexual exploitation of minor

Tod Randall Cook, 60, of Silver Creek Church Road Extension in Morganton, was arrested by Burke County Sheriff’s deputies on ten counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Events leading up to Cook’s arrest began on February 27 when sheriff’s officers and the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections conducted a compliance check operation on registered sex offenders. During the check, electronics suspected of containing child pornography were located. The electronics were seized and forensic downloads were performed.

As a result, Cook was charged accordingly and arrested without incident. He was jailed without bail and his first appearance in District Court is scheduled for today (August 28). Cook was previously arrested in June 2022 for sexual exploitation of a minor and in March 2023 for a post-release offense related to pornographic material.