A Democrat North Carolina state representative was arrested and charged on Wednesday in the statutory rape of a teen.
Rep. Cecil Brockman, representing Guilford County, faces charges including two counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory rape of a person aged 13 to 15, as reported by Fox 8 on Thursday.
The outlet said:
According to warrants, in August of this year, Brockman allegedly “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did commit and attempt to commit a lewd and lascivious act” with a 15-year-old victim.
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Upon his arrest, he was held without bond, with allegations in the magistrate’s order that he attempted to find the victim at a hospital and used his position as a representative to contact the victim.
The representative is being held at the Guilford County Jail and expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon, according to WRAL.
The North Carolina Democrat Party has urged Brockman to step down, stating, “The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible for him to effectively represent his community.”
In 2023, Brockman reportedly had a youth academic center named in his honor:
Meanwhile, North Carolina House Democrat Leader Robert Reives addressed the allegations against Brockman.
“As we continue to learn more about the allegations against Rep. Brockman this morning, it has become clear that he is unable to continue serving in the House of Representatives. Rep. Brockman must resign immediately,” said Hall.
Speaker of the House Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) has also called for the representative to step down, according to WUNC.
Hall stated, “The charges against Rep. Brockman are shocking and extremely serious. Given the evidence publicly known, he should resign immediately so these charges do not distract from the work of the North Carolina House.”
The outlet explained the process if Brockman decides to submit a resignation letter to the Speaker of the House.
“At that point, the Guilford County Democratic Party’s Executive Committee would select a replacement for Brockman. Only members of the executive committee who live in Brockman’s district would be able to vote on his replacement, according to North Carolina’s rules for replacing members of the General Assembly,” the report stated.
