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A North Carolina Democratic state lawmaker resigned from his position after being charged with felonies tied to alleged sexual conduct with a minor.
The move from Rep. Cecil Brockman of High Point comes after he faced bipartisan calls to resign and a potential committee investigation, announced by North Carolina’s House speaker, into his alleged misconduct.
“I am currently facing criminal charges brought against me in Guilford County. Due to the seriousness of these accusations, I need to focus on my defense of these allegations,” Brockman, 41, said in a statement obtained by WXII. “As a result, I am unable to fulfill my duty and service to my constituents in Guilford County. As a result, I am resigning my position from the NC House of Representatives effective immediately.”
North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said Brockman’s decision “is the right thing to do for his constituents and for the North Carolina House of Representatives.”
“His departure spares the House from a difficult expulsion process and brings closure to this troubling chapter,” Hall added, according to WXII.
Brockman is facing two counts of statutory rape of a child between the ages of 13 and 15 and two counts of indecent liberties with a child, according to court records obtained by Fox News Digital.
A magistrate’s order said Brockman is accused of engaging in sex acts with a 15-year-old in August and is twice alleged to have committed and attempted to commit “a lewd and lascivious act” upon the juvenile, The Associated Press reported.
Court documents cited by WRAL indicate that Brockman attempted to contact the alleged victim while they were hospitalized and sought to “use his status to gain information on the whereabouts of the victim.”
Brockman, who was first elected to the state House in 2014 and has served since 2015, represents portions of the High Point and Guilford County area. He has served on committees related to education and appropriations.
State House leaders from both parties and Democratic Gov. Josh Stein had called on Brockman to resign since his arrest three weeks ago.
The House clerk’s office on Friday received a letter signed by Brockman to resign effective immediately.
Records show Brockman remained in jail Friday on a bond of just over $1 million. A court hearing on a request by Brockman’s attorney to reduce the bond is scheduled for Monday.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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