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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – Griffin Nelson Race, age 23 of North Shelby, has been arrested by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for the alleged electronic solicitation of a child and distribution of pornography to minors, among other charges.

On Monday, March 31, the SCSO arrested Race on the following charges:

• Electronic solicitation of a child – $10,000 bond
• Three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child- $3,000 in bonds
• Distributing pornography to minors- $1,000 bond
• Traveling to meet a child for unlawful sexual act- $10,000 bond

Race was booked into the Shelby County Jail on March 31 and posted a $24,000 total bond on Tuesday, April 1.

According the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, they received a report of inappropriate contact between Race and a minor on Jan. 4. Investigators with the Criminal Investigations Unit coordinated a forensic interview at Owen’s House, Shelby County’s child advocacy center, when the SCSO received simultaneously received more reports from the Shelby County Department of Human Resources of alleged inappropriate contact between Race and different minors.

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego encourages anyone with information who had, or knows of any suspicious contact with Race to reach out to investigators at 205-670-6000. Anyone may submit an anonymous tip to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office through the “Report a Crime” tab at the bottom of its website at Shelbyso.com. Anyone may also send a tip through Crime Stoppers by phone at 205-254-7777 or its website at Crimstoppersmetroal.com.