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An Angier man pleaded guilty April 26 to production of child pornography, according to a press release from the Department of Justice, Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Raul Ayala Jr., 72, was accused of sexual molesting a prepubescent minor. “Upon the minor’s disclosure, Ayala was confronted and admitted to some of the conduct but claimed there were explanations for the behavior. Law enforcement was notified, and Fuquay-Varina Police Department began an investigation,” stated the release. “Detectives interviewed Ayala and Ayala admitted to touching the child and performing oral sex on the child. He also admitted he had taken some nude photographs of the child, but insisted they were innocent photographs. In addition, Ayala admitted he had molested children in the 1970’s.”

“A search warrant was executed at Ayala’s residence in Angier and multiple digital devices were seized. In addition, in the attic law enforcement found a briefcase that contained adult pornography and child pornography. In the briefcase were Polaroid pictures of nude minor children, dating back to the late 1960’s and early 1970’s,” the release continued. “On Ayala’s digital devices, law enforcement found lascivious images of the minor child who disclosed sexual abuse along with child pornography unrelated to the minor child.”

Homeland Security Investigators sought to identify the minor males in the Polaroid photographs. Agents identified one of the males who affirmed he was one of the children in the Polaroids and he disclosed that Ayala had molested him beginning when he was eight years old, stated the release.

G. Norman Acker III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the plea was entered by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Fuquay-Varina Police Department, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson and Charles Schmitz with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted.

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