Durham Police Charge 12 in Child Exploitation Sting

Durham police say 12 men were arrested and charged after Project Firebird, a 10-day October investigation targeting people seeking sexual services from someone represented online as a 15-year-old. Police said the advertisement received more than 8,000 views and some respondents tried to arrange meetings, despite being told the person was 15. The men face charges including luring and obtaining sexual services from a person under 18; police described the operation as a proactive effort to identify offenders and protect youth. A Durham police deputy chief said the share of people identified as victims or at risk in local human trafficking cases who were under 18 has risen from 41% in 2024 to 55% so far in 2026.