Last Updated on September 10, 2024 5:13 pm
On Wednesday, September 04, 2024, the Avery County Sheriff’s Office along with Sugar Mountain Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on the residence of Maxcim Kori, W/M/DOB: 08/18/1988, located at 103 Sugar Ski Drive, Apartment 325, Banner Elk, North Carolina.
Kori was identified by authorities in Florida pursuant to an Internet Crimes Against Children Cyber Tip line Report showing his potential involvement with child sexual abuse material.
Based on the investigation in Florida, warrants were issued against Kori for Possession, Control, or Intentionally Viewing Sexual Performances by a Child. During the investigation in Florida, officers learned that Kori had moved to North Carolina and was living in Banner Elk.
On the day of the search warrant in North Carolina officers were able to take Kori into custody for the Florida warrants without incident. It is also noted electronic devices were seized by law enforcement during the search and are pending forensic processing. Kori is presently in custody in the Avery County Detention Center and is awaiting extradition back to Florida for his pending charges.
The Avery County Sheriff’s Office is a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Task Force consist of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 5400 federal, state, and local law enforcement, dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective response to internet crimes against children. The program was developed in 1998, in response to an ever-increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, an ever-increasing number of online images depicting child sexual abuse, and an ever-increasing amount of online activity by people seeking to contact and exploit children and teens.
As a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force the Avery County Sheriff’s Office will continue to maintain, expand, and improve the Task Force’s effectiveness in preventing, interdicting, investigating and prosecuting Internet Crimes Against Children and technology-facilitated child exploitation.
