Johnston County man, former Greenville police officer faces child sex exploitation charges

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A Johnston County man who once served as a police officer is now facing multiple felony charges involving sexual exploitation of a teenager more than five years ago.

According to court records, 30-year-old Dominic Olivares was arrested Sept. 23 and is charged with eight felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, ranging from first to third degree.

Investigators say the alleged crimes date back to October 2019, before Olivares joined the Greenville Police Department. He is accused of coercing and filming a 16-year-old girl, identified in court documents as J.T., into performing sexual acts on camera.

Here’s a timeline of how Olivares landed in handcuffs:

• May 2020: Olivares was hired as a patrol officer with Greenville Police.
• May 2021: GPD received a complaint about Olivares that they determined was “potentially criminal.” The department referred the case to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the next day.
• August 2021: Following an internal investigation, Olivares was fired from GPD.
• September 2025: Olivares was arrested for sexual exploitation of a minor.

In a statement, the Greenville Police Department said:

“It is our understanding Olivares’ arrest this week stems from the referral GPD made to the SBI in 2021. The images in question were found on his personal devices. At no time during his employment with GPD did Olivares serve in a unit that investigated crimes against minors or have access to related case files or evidence.”

Court records show Olivares was working at Walmart at the time of his arrest. He has since posted a $150,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Pitt County District Court on Friday.

He has also been ordered to stay away from the victim, who is now an adult.