U.S. Marshals arrested a Jackson man at his apartment on Wednesday, capping a search that ended with him facing multiple child-sex charges filed in Memphis. Members of the Marshals Service and a multi-agency task force tracked the suspect to the Cherry Grove Apartments in Jackson and took him into custody without incident. He was transported to the Madison County Jail, where staff placed a hold at the request of Shelby County authorities as the case moves forward.
According to FOX13 Memphis, U.S. Marshals' Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Craig Nakutis at his Cherry Grove residence on July 22. The Shelby County grand jury indicted Nakutis on counts including especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, solicitation of a minor and aggravated statutory rape, the station reported. Marshals said he was booked into the Madison County Jail and was being held pending transfer to Shelby County.
"The community is safer when an offender who preys on children is off the street," U.S. Marshals official Tyreece Miller said, according to FOX13 Memphis. Marshals told the station the arrest followed investigative leads developed by Memphis authorities and was carried out by the Two Rivers task force. Officials said the operation was conducted without incident at the Jackson apartment complex.
How the task force works
The Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency unit with offices in both Jackson and Memphis that focuses on locating violent fugitives and sexual predators, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Task force members typically include deputy marshals alongside county sheriff's deputies and local police, and they routinely coordinate arrests and extraditions for out-of-county warrants. In recent years, the unit has been credited with hundreds of fugitive apprehensions across West Tennessee.
What’s next
The Shelby County indictment means the case will proceed through Shelby County courts, where prosecutors will arrange an arraignment and other criminal proceedings. Because the arrest occurred in Jackson, authorities will coordinate custody transfer and any necessary extradition to Memphis for court dates. Public records and court dockets should list upcoming dates once the county files the case in court.
Authorities asked anyone with information to contact law enforcement; local officials will release additional details through regular channels as the prosecution moves forward. We will update this story if the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, or prosecutors publish more information.
