North Carolina Rep. Cecil Brockman charged in sex crimes case

SUMMARY

• Cecil Brockman, D-High Point, was arrested on sex-related charges involving a 15-year-old, court documents show.
• Brockman faces two counts each of statutory sexual offense and taking indecent liberties with a child.
• Authorities denied bond, citing flight risk and alleged attempts to contact the victim, including through hospital access.
• State Democratic leaders, including Gov. Josh Stein, called for Brockman’s immediate resignation from the General Assembly.

HIGH POINT — A state House member has been charged with sex-related crimes involving a teenager earlier this year, court records show.

Six-term Rep. Cecil Brockman, 41, D-High Point, was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 8, on two counts each of statutory sexual offense with a child and taking indecent liberties with a child, according to a magistrate’s order detailing his arrest.

The magistrate’s order says Brockman is twice accused in or around Aug. 15 of engaging in a sexual act with a 15-year-old and is twice alleged to have committed and attempted to commit “a lewd and lascivious act” upon the juvenile. The teenager was identified by the same initials. The State Bureau of Investigation is involved in the case.

Brockman was being held without bond, according to the Guilford County Sheriff‘s Office. His scheduled court appearance on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 9, was postponed for a day; a message in the state’s electronic court records system said that Brockman was in the hospital Wednesday. More details weren’t immediately provided there.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Bria Evans said Thursday she had no information on Brockman’s medical status, citing privacy law, but said that he was still in custody of the High Point jail run by the office.

An assistant for Brockman at his legislative office said Brockman didn’t have a comment Thursday. A voice message left on a phone number connected to Brockman wasn’t immediately returned. The online court records provided no information on whether he had an attorney.

Politicians’ reactions

In separate statements, the North Carolina Democratic Party, House Democratic leader Rep. Robert Reives and House Speaker Destin Hall, a Republican, and Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, called on Brockman to resign immediately his General Assembly seat.

The minimum prison sentence for someone convicted of the statutory sexual offense count is at least 12 years, according to state sentencing directives, while taking indecent liberties with a child can be punishable by active prison time, probation, or both.

A document signed by a Guilford County magistrate explaining in part why Brockman’s release wasn’t authorized on Wednesday said the defendant “is a state representative and has access to abundant resources to aid in his flight from prosecution.”

In addition, the document said, Brockman has “made attempts to contact the victim in this case,” even trying to locate the young person in the hospital and “to use his status” to gain information about the teenager’s whereabouts.

Brockman was first elected to the legislature in 2014.

EXTERNAL LINKS

• North Carolina General Assembly | Rep. Cecil Brockman
• Guilford County Sheriff’s Office
• North Carolina Democratic Party