Man accused of looting during Helene now charged with child sex abuse offenses

HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A man accused of looting a neighbor after rescuing them during Tropical Storm Helene in 2024 now faces child sex abuse charges in Henderson County.

FROM SAVIOR TO SUSPECT: MAN WHO RESCUED NEIGHBOR DURING MUDSLIDE CHARGED WITH LOOTING

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said Tyson Neal Pike, 39, was arrested Feb. 13, 2026, after its SWAT Team and Special Investigations Unit executed a search warrant in Mills River as part of a child sexual assault investigation. The case involves an 11-year-old child, according to the arrest warrant.

Court documents indicate Pike was on pretrial release at the time of his arrest and is now being held without bond.

News 13 previously reported on Pike in November 2024 when he was charged with multiple theft and fraud offenses, accused of looting neighbors in Black Mountain after rescuing them from a mudslide during Helene.

Court documents indicate Pike was released on bond in the looting case on Nov. 18, 2024. Documents say that bond was forfeited Jan. 20, 2026, after he failed to appear in court and an arrest warrant was issued. The order for arrest was recalled the same day after a hearing, and a new court date was set for Jan. 26, 2026, according to online records.

In the Henderson County case, Pike is charged with two counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult, one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of taking indecent liberties with a child, and one count of exposing a child to controlled substances. The sheriff’s office said Pike was arrested without incident and taken to the Henderson County Detention Center, where he remains in custody.