Harrisonburg: Three arrests announced in child pornography investigations

Harrisonburg Police announced the arrests of three individuals on possession of child pornography charges.

Rodney Williams, 50 of Harrisonburg, was arrested on Aug. 26 on 20 counts of possessing child pornography. Each charge is classified as a Class 6 felony. Williams was booked and released on a $40,000 secured bond.

On Sept. 2, a separate investigation was conducted that led to the arrest of Jacob Scott, 20 of Harrisonburg. Scott was arrested and charged with one count of possessing child pornography, a Class 6 felony, and nine counts of possessing child pornography second or subsequent offense, a Class 5 felony. Scott was booked and released on a $5,000 secured bond.

On Oct. 20, Roland Moyers Jr., 68 of Harrisonburg, was arrested and charged with one count of possessing child pornography, a Class 6 felony, and five counts of possessing child pornography second or subsequent offense, a Class 5 felony. Moyers was booked and released on his own recognizance on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

All were independent investigations and additional investigations are ongoing.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to speak to their kids about appropriate and responsible uses of web sites and applications.

Smart tips to help warn kids of online dangers include:

• Tell your kids that they should never arrange to meet a stranger they met online.
• Don’t engage in inappropriate conversations.
• Monitor online activities – have your kids show you what websites or programs they use and how they use them.
• Encourage children to alert an adult when inappropriate conduct occurs.
• Alert police if you suspect your child is communicating sexually online with an adult.
• Avoid confronting online offenders and don’t notify them that you’ve contacted police.

Parents can get more tips about online safety at www.harrisonburgva.gov/hpd-children-internet-safety or contact Detective Greg Miller at 540- 437-4404. Additional online resources include www.safekids.com and www.netsmartz.org.

The HPD encourages anyone with information regarding child pornography or child exploitation to immediately report such events to law enforcement. In Harrisonburg, tips can be called in to 540-437-4404 or online at www.cybertipline.org. Anonymous tips related to these incidents, or any crime can be sent to Crime Solvers at (540) 574-5050 or by texting “HPD” plus their tip to CRIMES (274637).