HENRY COUNTY, Va. – A 63-year-old man was arrested in North Carolina as part of Internet Crimes Against Children undercover chat operation that the Henry County Sheriff’s Office conducted.
In the operation, the investigator came into contact with Richard Herman Albers on an online forum, and over many weeks, Albers and the investigator would continue to communicate on multiple online platforms, authorities said.
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The sheriff’s office told 10 News that Albers sent several lewd and sexual-in-nature messages to the Sheriff’s Office investigator during the online interactions and had believed that he had been in communication with a 13-year-old child to arrange a sexual encounter.
On March 14, 2024, The Henry County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Forsyth County, North Carolina. Along with the assistance of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant was executed at Albers’ home, and he was taken into custody without incident.
Albers was charged with the following:
- Four counts: use of communications systems to solicit a juvenile
- Two counts: attempted production of child pornography
Albers is currently incarcerated at Forsyth County Detention Center without bond and will be extradited to Henry County.
“The Henry County Sheriff’s Office takes the safety of children very seriously,” the sheriff’s office said. “This specialized unit will continue to aggressively pursue sexual predators and conduct these styles of operations to ensure that we provide the safest environment and community we can for our youth.”