Former teacher faces child sex assault charges across multiple school districts
A former teacher and coach is accused of providing players with pills and alcohol and sexually assaulting them.
He faces child sexual assault charges and is under investigation in several areas from the Charlotte area to Myrtle Beach.
MORE: More child sex assault charges filed against Lincoln Co. man who was arrested in February
Police in Gaffney, South Carolina, arrested Maxwell Sidney Fletcher, 30, of Mount Holly, on Friday where he was served with multiple felony charges.
He was extradited to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Monday and was charged with the statutory sex offense of a child under 15. There will likely be more charges out of Lincoln County, officials said.
“Sometimes hourly, the scope of this investigation is getting larger,” Lincoln County Det. David Hendrix said.
Lincoln County
It all started Thursday when Lincoln County deputies were called out to investigate an assault on a minor. Deputies said they were called after some of Fletcher’s players shared disturbing details with each other.
”Kids talked with each other and then parents, and parents got in touch with us,” Sheriff Bill Beam said.
According to Lincoln County Schools, Fletcher was an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team at East Lincoln High School in fall 2023. The district said he’s no longer associated with the school or the district.
In court Tuesday, a prosecutor told a judge that Fletcher threw parties for his teams at rental houses and often rented homes for travel games.
Prosecutors said Fletcher is accused of providing players with pills and alcohol. They allege some of the players passed out and awoke to their coach sexually assaulting them.
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“This is a violation of trust,” Beam said.
According to the Lincoln County arrest warrant, the minor is between 12 and 15 years old and the alleged crime happened on Jan. 1, 2019.
One player told another what happened and other players shared similar stories, prosecutors said. Some of the alleged events happened during travel games.
At least one player texted Fletcher to let him know about the investigation and he fled to a property in South Carolina, prosecutors said. That’s where he was later arrested before voluntarily returning to North Carolina to face charges.
Investigators said they are getting scores of calls about Fletcher.
“We want absolutely everything single-thing we can find out about anything with Mr. Fletcher,” Hendrix said.
“Just shocking,” a parent told Channel 9. “You never know what’s going on with young children like this. You just never know who’s around them, even teachers. It’s crazy.”
Gaston County
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said that at the time of Fletcher’s arrest, he was also a teacher and a soccer coach at W.C. Friday Middle School in Dallas, which is part of the Gaston County Schools system. District officials said he was hired in Gaston County in August 2016.
Braden Alverson, a sixth-grade student at W.C. Friday Middle, said he enjoyed his class with Fletcher last semester.
“He was quiet in his classroom,” Braden said. “He wouldn’t really talk. He would put on movies and stuff.”
Braden told Channel 9′s Erika Jackson, that he hadn’t seen Fletcher at the school since last week.
Braden’s father, Rapheal Hunter, said he did not know about the accusations against his son’s former teacher.
“I’m definitely going to talk to him and make sure he wasn’t in the middle of this … when it was going on,” he said. “I’m going to find out.”
The allegations are very concerning to Hunter.
“Something needs to happen to him. He don’t need to be at school not doing stuff like that,” Hunter said.
Fletcher was suspended with pay on May 15.
Catawba County
Fletcher was also served with outstanding warrants from Catawba County for second-degree kidnapping and indecent liberties, among other charges. Sheriff’s deputies there said their case stems from an alleged sexual assault at a home Fletcher had rented for a few days where juveniles and others had gathered.
The Mooresville Spinners collegiate baseball team said it terminated Fletcher last week after learning of the allegations.
No current or former Spinners players came forward with allegations against Fletcher, officials with the Spinners said.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecutor asked for and received a $350,000 bond for Fletcher. If he makes a bond, Fletcher can’t have contact with any unrelated minors. The judge told him, “Stay away from children. Do you understand?”
Fletcher is in the Lincoln County jail. He asked the judge if he was allowed to stay with his mother in Gaston County if he made bond, and the judge said that was OK.
Investigators asked anyone with information to call the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
This is a developing story; check back at wsoctv.com for updates.
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