Former schoolofficial chargedwith sex crimes

[Stan]

Former schoolofficial chargedwith sex crimes

By Stanley B. Chambers Jr., The Daily Reflector

A former Winterville educator is facing 53 criminal charges stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with an underage girl, according to Pitt County court documents.

Moses Arceo Primero, 43, allegedly had a sexual relationship with an underage girl for two years beginning when the girl was 12, according to court documents. The girl is now 14. Primero, the former principal of Brookhaven Christian School, remained at the Pitt County jail Friday on a $1.05 million bond.

Primero, who began working at the school on Reedy Branch Road in 2001 according to officials, faces 27 charges of taking indecent liberties with a child, 13 counts of first degree sex offense with a child and 13 counts of statutory rape. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 4.

The school is affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Warrants served on Primero said he had a sexual relationship with the victim from October 2003 until May 2004. Investigators learned of the alleged relationship in July and believe the child's parents and school officials had discovered the situation soon before. A warrant dated July 19 listed Primero as having indecent liberties with another female who was under 16 at the time.

When investigators started looking for Primero, he was last known to be at a Charlotte hospital after a drug overdose, officials said. Primero was in California when he arranged to turn himself in.

Primero's lawyer, Angelyn Gates of the California-based Criminal Defense Associates, did not want to comment on the case until she obtained more information about the charges

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