A North Carolina man who authorities believe sexually abused an eight-year-old girl in a child pornography video was arrested on Thursday . William Akers , 46 , was taken into custody after authorities released a still image from the video and asked for the public to help identify him . The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 's Homeland Security Investigations kicked off a nationwide manhunt that brought more than 80 leads before one member of the public was able to tell investigators where Akers was employed . William Akers , 46 , was arrested Thursday in Raleigh , North Carolina for allegedly sexually abusing an eight-year-old girl in a child pornography video seized by authorities . He was arrested at 1am while working the night shift at Lulu Press in Raleigh , where he was a development and operations director , according to WNCN . One employee told the station that Akers has since been fired . Authorities obtained the child pornography video Akers allegedly appeared in while investigating convicted sex offender Bailey Mills and his wife Elizabeth last year , according to the News & Observer . The Mills identified the man in the video as Peter Gilbert , but investigators soon realized he was using an alias . Homeland Security Investigations reached out to the public on Wednesday , asking them to help find a 'white male , 40 to 50 years in age ' who 'may be using the name Peter Gilbert and may be driving a white pickup truck ' . Akers was arrested after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 's Homeland Security Investigations released this still image from the video and asked for the public 's help in identifying him . Both Bailey and Elizabeth Mills were arrested last year for running a child porn ring disguised as a daycare out of their Sanford home , according to investigators . Bailey Mills was caught after a 12-year-old girl revealed to authorities he had contacted her on Facebook about exchanging money for sex , according to WNCN . The young girl also told officers she had previous sexual relations with Mills , and that she had been shown pornography featuring another underage girl while at his home . Bailey and Elizabeth Mills were arrested after investigators found photographic and video evidence that showed multiple underage children being sexually assaulted by adult males and an adult female . The victims were between one and 14 years old . Both Bailey and Elizabeth Mills pleaded guilty to multiple sex offense charges . Among Bailey Mills ' charges were rape of a child and sexual exploitation of a child . Elizabeth Mills was also charged with sexual exploitation of a child and statutory sex offense with a child . Authorities obtained the child pornography video Akers allegedly appeared in while investigating convicted sex offender Bailey Mills ( left ) and his wife Elizabeth ( right ) last year in connection to a child porn ring . Akers has been charged with production of child pornography and conspiracy to produce child pornography , a Homeland Security Investigations spokesman told Daily Mail Online . He is being held without bond at Wake County Jail . U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Sarah R. Saldaña said she was grateful for the public 's 'quick action ' to help find Akers . 'Within hours of our request for assistance , more than a million people took notice and started spreading the word on social media and in the press , ' she said in a statement . 'Because of this incredible support , we were able to identify and arrest a man accused of grossly violating an innocent child . ' The investigation was conducted under Homeland Security Investigations Operation Predator , an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators .
William Akers , 46 , was identified after investigators released a still image from the video . Authorities obtained the video while investigating Bailey and Elizabeth Mills , who were running child porn ring disguised as a daycare out of their home . They identified Akers as 'Peter Gilbert ' but investigators quickly discovered he was using an alias and asked the public to help identify him . Someone told authorities where Akers was employed and he was taken into custody while working the 1am shift . He has been charged with production of child pornography .