Joint investigation by Weed and Redding police departments leads to charges spanning child exploitation and firearms manufacturing
A 23-year-old Redding man is facing multiple felony charges — including child sex crimes and illegal weapons offenses — following a joint undercover investigation by the Weed Police Department and the Redding Police Department that culminated in his arrest on April 9.
Jeramy Black of Redding was taken into custody after the Weed Police Department ran an undercover sting operation using social media and dating apps to identify online predators targeting minors. During the operation, an undercover officer posed as a 13-year-old child.
Black engaged in sexually explicit communications with the undercover officer and sent photos of himself possessing multiple firearms. Because Black resided outside Weed’s jurisdiction, the Weed Police Department requested assistance from the Redding Police Department’s Neighborhood Police Unit (NPU) in taking Black into custody, and also provided NPU with photos of the firearms Black had shared.
Investigators determined that one of the weapons shown in those photos had a criminal history of its own: an AR-15 rifle had been previously reported stolen in a residential burglary.
The Weed Police Department obtained a Ramey Warrant — a California arrest warrant based on probable cause before a formal complaint is filed — for Black’s arrest on the sex crime allegations, while Redding officers secured a separate search warrant for his residence.
On April 9, NPU and Weed Police Department officers executed both warrants at Black’s Redding home. Officers recovered the stolen AR-15 rifle, additional firearms, and high-capacity magazines. The search also turned up evidence of what authorities described as an illegal home manufacturing operation: firearm parts consistent with 3D-printed construction, including Glock-style pistol frames, and 80% polymer lower receivers for AR-15 style rifles. Those materials, along with other evidence, indicated active firearms assembly activity at the residence — a violation of state Department of Justice manufacturing and serialization requirements.
Black faces six felony charges in total: arranging a meeting with a minor, contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex offense, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, being a felon in possession of a firearm, receiving or possessing stolen property, and DOJ firearm manufacturing and assembly requirement violations.
Both agencies issued a joint statement following the arrest. “The Redding Police Department and the Weed Police Department remain committed to public safety, online safety, and pursuing individuals who illegally possess, manufacture, or traffic firearms, and who exploit children online,” the statement read.
The investigation is assigned Redding Police Department case number RPD26-003979. Sgt. Ryan Ellis, badge number 375, is listed as the contact for the Redding Police Department.
Black is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
