HIGH POINT, N.C. — HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina House member was charged earlier this year with sex crimes involving a teenager, court records show.
Six-year Democratic Rep. Cecil Brockman, 41, of High Point, was arrested Wednesday on two counts each of statutory sexual battery with a child and indecent liberties with a child, according to a magistrate's order detailing his arrest.
Brockman was being held without bond at the High Point Jail on Thursday, according to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office. A court appearance was scheduled for later Thursday.
The magistrate's ruling said Brockman was twice accused on or about Aug. 15 of having sex with a 15-year-old and was twice accused of committing and attempting to commit a “lewd and lascivious act” on a minor. The alleged victim in each felony was identified by the same initials.
In separate statements, the North Carolina Democratic Party, Republican House Speaker Destin Hall and House Democratic Leader Robert Raves called on Brockman to immediately relinquish his seat in the General Assembly.
“The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible for him to effectively represent his community,” the state Democratic Party said in a news release.
An aide in Brockman's legislative office said Brockman had no comment Thursday morning. A voicemail left at a phone number associated with Brockman was not immediately returned. Electronic court records did not show whether he had an attorney.
Under state sentencing guidelines, the minimum prison term for a person convicted of statutory sex offenses is at least 12 years, and taking indecent liberties with a child can be punishable by jail time, probation or both.
A document signed by a Guilford County judge explaining why Brockman's release was not authorized Wednesday said the defendant “is a member of the state and has access to a wealth of resources that will help him evade prosecution.”
In addition, the document states, Brockman “made attempts to contact the victim in this case,” even attempting to locate the youth at the hospital and “exploit his status” to obtain information about the teen's whereabouts.
Brockman, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2014, has faced political criticism from fellow Democrats in recent years over his willingness to vote with Republicans on some key bills. In July, he and a pair of other House Democrats helped successfully override some of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's vetoes.
A past supporter of some school choice initiatives, Brockman was named one of four vice chairs of the House K-12 Education Committee during this General Assembly term, joining three Republicans. Brockman narrowly survived a primary challenge in the 2024 election for the House District 60 seat, which represents southwest Guilford County.
