York County Court Sentences Former Police Officer on Child Sex Charges
In a striking turn of events, former North Carolina police officer Erickson Douglas Lee made a court appearance in York County on Friday, a day later than scheduled, resulting in a plea deal that led to a nine-year prison sentence. Lee, 26, was expected to plead guilty to a series of troubling charges on Thursday, but he missed the session entirely. When he finally showed up on Friday, the judge handed him an additional year behind bars due to his absence.
Avolving Role in a Youth Group
Lee had previously been a volunteer leader for a youth group at the Morningstar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, serving there from 2020 until early 2023. it was revealed by prosecutor Hannah Woods that during his time at the church, Lee exploited his position to abuse multiple boys. The prosecutor detailed how Lee would manipulate and intimidate his young victims at his Fort Mill home, providing them with alcohol and vapes, showing them pornography, and engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior.
“This was over the course of several years,” Woods stated, adding that the same offenses occurred repeatedly against multiple minors. It became clear that Lee had taken advantage of his status at the church in a devastating way.
A Troubling Arrest
Lee was arrested in April 2023 after being fired from his police job in Cornelius, North Carolina, which is just north of Charlotte. It was a harrowing time for the victims, four of whom attended the courtroom proceedings on Friday but did not speak. The day before, they had waited for hours only to find that Lee hadn’t shown up. This led to law enforcement issuing a bench warrant for his arrest on Friday morning as he entered the courthouse.
A written statement from the victims and their families was read in court, depicting Lee as “a predator” and a “master manipulator.” The stark words illustrated the profound impact his actions had on the lives of these young individuals.
Plea Deal and Sentencing
After his arrest on the bench warrant, Judge Dan Hall agreed to vacate the warrant once Lee entered a guilty plea. In a negotiated deal, Lee pled guilty to five out of eleven charges he originally faced. The other six charges were dropped as part of this plea agreement. The specific charges included second- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child, first-degree assault and battery, dissemination of obscene material to a minor, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
In an unusual resolution known as an Alford plea, Lee did not admit guilt but accepted that the evidence indicated a strong likelihood of conviction. Judge Hall clarified that this type of plea is treated the same as a standard guilty plea regarding sentencing. The consequences were serious, with Lee now set to spend nine years in a South Carolina prison and being mandated to register as a sex offender upon release. Additionally, Judge Hall established a restraining order of fifty years, prohibiting Lee from contacting any of the victims.
Legal Fallout Continues
While Lee’s criminal cases have reached their conclusion, civil lawsuits are still unfolding. Three of the victims have initiated legal action against Lee, the church, and some church officials. Rick Joyner, CEO of Morningstar, stated that church leadership acted responsibly by contacting law enforcement when the allegations surfaced in 2023.
The lawsuits allege claims of negligence and cover-up related to Lee’s actions while he was still a volunteer at the church. Joyner has expressed that many accusations in the lawsuits are “wildly untrue,” insisting on the integrity of church members and leaders during this dark chapter.
As this case wraps up, the scars left behind serve as a chilling reminder of the importance of vigilance and accountability, especially when it involves the safety of vulnerable individuals.
