October 25, 2025
Johnston County Man Arrested In Online Child Predator Operation
JOHNSTON COUNTY — A Johnston County man was arrested Thursday morning following a multi-agency investigation into alleged online child exploitation.
Austin Barrett Crews, 37, of 224 Driver Road in Middlesex—just off NC Highway 39 in northern Johnston County—is facing multiple felony charges.
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office launched its investigation after receiving a tip from the Owatonna Police Department in Minnesota. An undercover officer there, posing online as a parent, was allegedly contacted by Crews during a child predator sting operation.
Investigators say Crews believed he was communicating with the parent of an 8-year-old girl and attempted to arrange a meeting with the juvenile.
While investigating the Minnesota tip, Johnston County detectives received additional, unrelated tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program, leading to further allegations.
Warrants were obtained for Crew’s arrest, along with a search warrant for his residence at 224 Driver Road.
On Thursday morning, Crews reportedly left home before officers arrived. He was arrested later that day at his workplace in Wake County. During the arrest, deputies allegedly found two grams of suspected methamphetamine in his possession.
A search of his residence resulted in the reported seizure of multiple electronic storage and cellular devices, as well as approximately two pounds of suspected marijuana.
Crews was living at the address with an adult female and two small children.
“Use of the internet has become a daily occurrence for most individuals. Our children use the internet for educational applications beginning at an early age. It sickens me when adult monsters use the internet to target our children, often hiding behind fake identities,” said Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell. “Individuals who seek out, solicit, and entice our children for the selfish intent to commit deplorable sex acts and assaults deserve the full time and attention of law enforcement. Thankfully, this predator was identified and arrested before he could victimize a local child. This recent arrest is the result of multiple law enforcement agencies, from local, state, and out-of-state investigators working together to help protect and safeguard our children.”
Crews is charged with five counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of soliciting a child by computer. He is being held under a $340,000 secured bond at the Johnston County Detention Center.
Authorities say additional charges are likely.
The investigation involved the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Owatonna Police Department in Minnesota.
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44 Comments
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Turns out I have a few mutual friends with this guy on FB. Looks like he’s engaged to a lady with 2 twin babies… so sad, my heart is heaviest for her. Putting myself in her shoes? My world would be upside down. Hope it all works out for her and she doesn’t stay with him, no matter what lies he may tell her.
And every Johnston County resident that reads this article will be on their high horse like they are perfect and never made a mistake.
Did somebody from Johnston County hurt your feelings? I was born and raised in JoCo and I’m FAR from perfect… but anyone w a half a brain in their head can plainly see there’s a huge difference in making mistakes and thinking you’re speaking to the mother of an 8yr old CHILD w the intent or thoughts of anything sexual w said 8 yr old CHILD! And if you can’t see that then you should go be his buddy and try to protect him and his **** during the bid he’s gonna do. I can promise you from 1st hand knowledge, no matter what yard he hits to do his time, he’s done. The only way he will walk out of prison alive is if he stays in adseg the whole time w all the other ****** and rapists smh. And he’ll deserve every bit of whatever convict justice is handed down to him….
AMEN !!
Absolutely 110% agree! Best believe he’ll get his!
Amen, he deserves every single thing that happens to him in prison!!
I was born and raised in Johnston County as well. I’ll be 48 in 2 weeks and when it comes to hurting children we have a zero mistake policy for that. You must not know to many people born and raised in Johnston County. There are a LOT of people in Johnston County who still believe in citizen justice and if they could get their way they would want him released to the family of the children he hurt. Since the child he thought he was talking to didn’t really exist the only person I feel sorry for is his fiancée and her twins. I hope and pray that he never hurt them. As for this guy I’m happy knowing that Bizzle will make sure that justice is served.
This individual’s actions were not a mistake; we all make mistakes but that doesn’t mean we should turn a blind eye to pedophilia. Also, being a Johnston County resident has nothing to do with this type of behavior. You, however, have chosen as a pseudonym, the name of an individual that has often publicly displayed questionable behavior around women and small girls; what does that say about you?
Why is everyone turning a blind eye to trump and his rich pedophile friends?
What does President Trump have to do with this discussion? And who are his “rich pedophile friends”? Why not name them? If you’re trying to connect Trump to Epstein, you’re way off base; no one is turning a “blind eye”, it’s that there isn’t anything to see with Trump but you might see a few democrats (like Bill Clinton) with ties to Epstein and trips to his island.
👍 agreed!
@Steven R Smith
Like who? Cmon, since you seem to KNOW
Soliciting a child is not a mistake. It is a choice! Watching child pirate is not a mistake, it is a choice! Child molestation is nota mistake, it is a choice! A mistake is spelling a word incorrectly, a mistake is picking up identical shoes in the dark only to find they are two different colors!
I TOTALLY AGREE !
That comment is totally INSANE.
Trying to have sexual relations or any kind of relations of ANY KIND with a CHILD, IS NOT A MISTAKE… Sorry not sorry!!!! He is a POS and he is exactly where he belongs.
There’s no way you’re serious.
Its easy to be on a high horse…when we don’t **** with kids. Youre piece of **** friend needs to rot in jail and you too if you support the ******
Going to these lengths to have sex with an 8 year old child is NOT a mistake…
Or we are happy that the children of JoCo are a lot safer today than they were yesterday. Sad that proteting children is offensive to you
Mr Biden, well… we know you are a pedo as well.
You cant be serious with this post. And of course your screen name is Biden.
He loves little children.
Uhhh Mr Biden i think someone needs to check your hard drive.
You piece of sh*t! I have made many mistakes. One of them is not downloading or having sex with innocent children. I’m not surprised you are hiding behind some stupid name ’cause obviously you have sympathy for this “mistake.”
Please FBI, so us all a favor and check this idiot’s hard drive.
@Mr Biden you must have no children to make a comment like that or you’re trying to get a rise out of the GOOD on here. I find your comment typical for a troll like you. Now go change your diaper and take a nappy nap. Don’t forget your bottle
Gross. This is not a “mistake”
This dude is a special kind of sick. Deserves to be in jail for life.
@Mr. Biden …This isn’t a “mistake”, it is absolutely DISGUSTING! He’s a parent to two little girls…absolutely pathetic. He is old enough to know better and this isn’t the first time he has been arrested for meth.
He claims to be all about God too…There’s no claiming innocence with this one. All the proof is already there.
I had to mute this guy’s posts because he was would not shut up about Trump and how racist he was. Goes to show the kind of person he is and the true intentions of those who think this way. Good riddance!
I’ve made a lot of mistakes, big mistakes, but being a pedophile is outside the scope of outlaws, addicts and criminals. Mistake? Sorry Mr Biden but that’s not a high horse they’d be getting on. It’s a Shetland pony. Tied to a rail. With a ladder. Sedated.
These the folks that should be deported not our hard working people
Mr Biden, really?????!!!!
Human trafficking and child predation are heinous crimes and I am glad this man has been identified. The children of JoCo are safer today because of it.
No kids are safe with trump and maxwell hooking up.
Well considering I know both of them very well it is a little surprising
Well considering there is proof……no one you know is going to come out and admit they’re a pedo. Are you doing meth with them?
Yall got baited hard by that troll. Are you all new to the internet?
Crazy that this happened & we know all the details, yet we still know that Donald Trump is in the Epstein Files.
Paid bot.
Some idiot made this about Trump. Never fails.
No not really, @Troof is not a bot…Maybe the statement that ‘Troof made kinda makes ya’ think, hmmm, the TROOF HURTS!! WORKS FOR ME….
Oh wow searching the home and finding 2 pounds on top of everything else yeah this guy is done for. Also I’m tired of all these democrats and liberals in the comments, i miss joco before it was invaded
@JoCo agreed! Too many immature moronic trolls on here. Ya know aka imbeciles.