ASHEBORO, N.C.(ACME NEWS) — An Asheboro man who gained national recognition for creating the “Thank You Jesus” yard signs has pleaded guilty to a felony sexual exploitation of a minor charge.
Lucas Timothy Hunt, 25, of Asheboro entered an Alford plea Wednesday to a felony charge of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor in Randolph Superior Court, more than a year after his arrest on related charges.
Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the state’s evidence would likely result in a conviction at trial.
Hunt was originally arrested Feb. 25, 2025, following an investigation by the Invictus Task Force, which was launched after a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators alleged he received materials containing explicit visual representations of minors.
At the time of his arrest, Hunt served as squadron leader of the Randolph Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol and as a board member of Thank You Jesus Mission in Asheboro. Both organizations severed ties with him following his arrest.
Hunt had been out on bond in the months following his arrest and saw his cases continued multiple since the indictment in April 2025.
The charge is a reduction from the second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor charge Hunt faced at the time of his February 2025 arrest.
Hunt was sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation and will not serve time in prison.
As conditions of his probation, Hunt is required to register as a sex offender for 30 years, undergo a sex offender evaluation and comply with recommended treatment, and submit to searches of any electronic devices he owns or has access to. He is also prohibited from possessing, viewing, or accessing pornographic material. He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office.
Hunt may be transferred to unsupervised probation after 24 months upon full compliance.
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