An Orange County resident and sex offender faces several counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following an investigation by North Carolina law enforcement and Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

A release from the sheriff’s office said its deputies arrested and charged 34-year-old Daniel Cody Wright on Wednesday over one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of third-degree sexual exploitation. Both are categorized as felonies and are related to either possessing or buying/selling material containing visuals of a minor engaged in sexual activity.

Wright, who lives at a mobile home park in the part of Orange County within Durham city limits, was required to register as a sex offender in Sep. 2024 after serving a 15-month prison sentence in another state for similar crimes committed in 2022. An Internet Crime Against Children tip from the State Bureau of Investigation started the case against Wright and ICAC task force members began working with local law enforcement several weeks ago to develop probably cause of Wright’s arrest, according to Wednesday’s release.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said additional charges may ultimately be filed against Wright. After taking him into custody Wednesday morning, investigators used a search warrant to collect electronics from his home which will be scanned to see if Wright possessed even more illegal materials.

The local magistrate ordered Wright to be confined at the Orange County Detention Center under a $25,000 secured bond following his arrest. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on the charges on Thursday, July 17.

RAINN offers a 24/7 hotline and online chat line to use for crisis support of sexual assault or abuse victims. Call the hotline at 800-656-4673, and access the online chat hotline here.

 

Featured photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Local Senator Pushing for Automatic Voter Registration in NC
A bill has been introduced to the North Carolina Senate that would establish automatic voter registration at Driver License Offices and college campuses. Although the bill has received little discussion by lawmakers, supporters say Senate Bill 704 could have an extremely positive impact on election reform in North Carolina. Orange County Democratic State Senator Valerie […]
Orange County to Fund Part of New Chapel Hill Fire Station
The town of Chapel Hill is one step closer to a new joint fire station and office building. The Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed to contribute a portion of $520,000 to the plan to house an EMS unit in the new building at its meeting Tuesday. The new building will replace Fire Station 2 on Hamilton […]
Exploring for Business Success
Since September or so, I’ve been working with one of the Chapel Hill Vision 2020 theme groups; the one called Community Prosperity & Engagement.  The group has identified three goals for recommendation to Town Council.  One of these goals is:  Foster the success of local business. Next step is for the group to develop recommended […]
My two cents on the quarter-cent
I was a young girl attending Carrboro Elementary and listened to my dad record a PSA in support of funding for our schools on this radio station. I never would have guessed that twenty-five years later, I would be doing something similar. However, I want to tell you about an opportunity […]
The 1/4 Cent Sales Tax
When Orange County created its Economic Development Districts in the early 1990’s, the purpose was to designate non-residential zones that would serve “for the next fifty years.” The districts were created along interstate highways to benefit from obvious transportation advantages. Orange County, with its support for quality education and environmental awareness, provides a great place […]
What’s the difference between Mortgage Pre-Qualified and Mortgage Pre-Approved
The purpose of a Mortgage Pre- Qualification or Mortgage Pre Approval is to re-assure the home seller that the buyer is qualified to purchase their home and that the deal won’t go down at the last minute. These terms can be confusing to both home buyers and sellers.  Here’s what they mean and the differences: A “Mortgage Pre-Qualification” is […]
An Intro to $avvy $pender...
How many times have you found yourself – this past year alone- in a conversation about shopping in Chapel Hill? Was it when the library might move into Dillard’s? “Is Dillard’s closing? Where will we shop for makeup? And that black skirt?” Was it when Tanger Outlets built a monument to sale shopping and started […]
Gov. Stein Declares Emergency for Orange County to Help Chantal Flood Relief Efforts
Gov. Josh Stein issued a state of emergency declaration for Orange County after severe flooding, which could help spark disaster assistance.
Orange County: Damage Assessment, Community Giving Fund, Criminal Justice Resource Director
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, July 16, discussing county news and events. She talked about on going damage assessments ahead of possible disaster declarations from the state and federal government. She talked about the Community Giving Fund, a centralized place for donations to those affected by the storm. She also discussed the promotion of a new Criminal Justice Resource Director, and more.
Orange County Sheriff's Office: Sex Offender Arrested, Charged Over Child Porn
An Orange County resident and sex offender faces several counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following an investigation by North Carolina law enforcement and Orange County Sheriff's Office.
›