RALEIGH — North Carolina state Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford) was charged with multiple sex crimes last Wednesday, according to Guilford County jail records.
Brockman is charged with two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory rape/sex offense of a 13- to 15-year-old by a defendant at least six years older than the victim.
According to the magistrate order in the case, the alleged victim is a 15-year-old only referred to by initials.
Brockman was supposed to have his first court appearance last Thursday, however, notes on the case indicated Brockman was “in the hospital.” At the Friday hearing, Brockman appeared remotely from a hospital claiming to have suffered a “medical emergency.”
During the hearing, District Attorney Avery Crump alleged Brockman had been having a relationship with a 15-year-old he met on a dating app in May. It was also alleged they lived together in Georgia for a time before moving to High Point together.
A High Point Police Department investigation into Brockman began after he made a 911 call to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 5 attempting to locate the victim, who he described as his “friend,” using a “Life360” tracking app. Brockman said he had sent a rideshare driver to pick up the teenager, but that the driver could not find them and canceled the ride. Not long after, the High Point Police involved the State Bureau of Investigation.
The release order and the prosecutor in the case both indicate that Brockman, 41, allegedly attempted to contact the teenager Oct. 9 and had “gone as far as attempting to locate the juvenile in the hospital and attempting to use his status to gain information on the whereabouts of the victim.” That claim was corroborated by the teen, who said Brockman tried to get to them through a locked door at the hospital. It has not yet been revealed why the teen was in the hospital.
Brockman’s bond was upgraded to $1.05 million by Judge Gordon Miller, who ordered Brockman to have no contact with the victim. Brockman has not yet entered a plea and will next be in court Nov. 13.
Brockman also tried to read a statement, but Miller told him to confer with his attorney first. Alec Carpenter, a Greensboro area attorney, is said to be representing Brockman.
Court records cite “electronic evidence present,” and police say they found 14 sexual videos on the victim’s phone, some of which included Brockman. Crump said there may be more charges filed.
Brockman faced calls from both sides of the aisle to resign within hours of the story breaking.
“These charges are extremely serious and deeply troubling,” said Gov. Josh Stein when asked for comment by North State Journal. “While the legal process has yet to play out, it’s clear he cannot effectively serve his constituents and should resign immediately.”
The office of House Minority Leader Robert Reives issued an initial statement on X, saying that if the allegations were true, it would “disqualify” him from holding office. Reives later updated the statement, saying Brockman “must resign immediately.”
“The charges against Rep. Brockman are shocking and extremely serious,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) said in a statement. “Given the evidence that’s publicly known, he should resign immediately so these charges do not distract from the work of the North Carolina House.”
Both the N.C. Democratic Party and N.C. Republican Party called for Brockman to resign, as well as Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) and N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
Brockman has been one of the few Democrats in the House to side with Republicans on certain bills and on veto overrides. He was targeted by his own party and allegedly by former Gov. Roy Cooper for those votes, resulting in Brockman receiving a primary challenger in recent election cycles.
Cooper issued a statement mid-afternoon last Wednesday, saying the charges against Brockman “are disturbing and disqualifying” and “He should resign immediately.”
If Brockman does not resign, he could be impeached or possibly expelled.
Former Gov. William Woods Holden was the last official to be impeached in North Carolina, in 1871. Holden was the first governor in U.S. history to be impeached and convicted. His impeachment was led by the Democrat-led legislature, who were upset Holden had responded to a lynching and murder of a sheriff by instituting martial law and ordering the arrest of more than 100 KKK members.
A state lawmaker was last expelled in 2018. That case involved New Hanover Democrat Thomas Wright, who was convicted and sent to jail on three counts of fraud for misuse of $340,000 in campaign money.
