Durham man charged with 56 counts of sexual exploitation of minor

A Durham man has been charged with 56 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after a joint investigation by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Phillip Stephen Stallings, 40, was arrested Wednesday on 28 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and 28 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The charges stem from downloaded media of minors involved in sexual activities found on his computer, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman AnnMarie Breen.

The arrest is part of a larger investigation that the Department of Homeland Security is doing on child porn on the internet, Breen said.

Arrest warrants indicate that Stalling duplicated and possessed images of minors performing sex acts.

Stallings has also been served with outstanding warrants for financial card theft and cyberstalking.

Stallings made his first appearance in court on the charges Thursday morning, and a judge set his bail at $500,000 secured.

This story was originally published June 20, 2019 at 7:35 PM.