A Roanoke Rapids man has been indicted in three separate cases — two of which are related to child sex offenses and the other to methamphetamine trafficking charges.

Chief Detective Ashley Collier of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Jeffrey Brent Hoots, 50, was served orders for arrest on the child sex offense cases on Tuesday while he was confined in the county jail in Jackson. The indictments in both cases were returned as true bills by a Halifax County grand jury.

Court records show that on Wednesday, the grand jury also returned a true bill of indictment for the drug charges, which allege he trafficked between 28 and 200 grams of methamphetamine.

Collier said the first order for arrest consists of five counts of felony first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. The indictment charges that Hoots recorded videos of himself and minors performing various sex acts.

The second order for arrest served by Northampton is for a true bill of indictment for third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, involving the possession of an image of a minor engaged in sexual activity.

The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office reported that Hoots was originally arrested on Thursday, December 19, 2024, for possession of child sex abuse materials. The following day, December 20, 2024, he was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine.

The HCSO said it began the investigation in October 2024 after receiving information that child sexual abuse material had been uploaded from a residence in the county.

Detectives and a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations executed multiple search warrants during the investigation. The first warrant was served at a Roanoke Rapids car dealership where Hoots worked. He was taken into custody at the dealership while detectives simultaneously executed a search warrant at his residence on Graystone Street.

Multiple items were seized between the two locations, and Hoots was transported to the Halifax County Magistrate's Office.

During the search of the residence, narcotics were located in plain view.

The Halifax Regional Drug and Gang Task Force was notified of the findings. Task force agents responded with an additional search warrant for narcotics, leading to the seizure of more items.

Hoots was arrested the following day for felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, felony maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place for a controlled substance, felony trafficking in methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hoots is currently held in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $250,000 secured bond for the first-degree child sex offenses and a $25,000 secured bond for the methamphetamine charges. He awaits an August 17 arraignment hearing.