Cyber tips lead to guilty pleas in separate child exploitation cases

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — On March 25 and 26, two men, in separate cases, pleaded guilty to second-degree exploitation of a minor, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

James Woodby pleaded guilty on March 25 and Peter Binder pleaded guilty on March 26, both in Superior Court, the press release said.

Even though they are separate cases, both are similar in that they were the same crime and were discovered in the same way.

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The BCSO said they started investigating Woodby and Binder after getting a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Network.

Woodby and Binder were both sentenced to 36 months of probation and must register with the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry, the Sheriff's office said.

“The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office does not take lightly those who victimize the most vulnerable in our community. As a member of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Detective Ian Luther follows up on every received cyber tip and these are the results of his hard work and dedication to making Buncombe County a safer place for our community," said BCSO District 1 Captain Elliot Summey.

Woodby was arrested on August 21, 2024. Binder was arrested on May 1, 2024, the press release said.

The BCSO said the FBI helped with these separate investigations.