In all, James Donald Lewter, 49, faces six counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of false imprisonment.
Five of the indecent liberties counts are from an investigation by Investigator Gorton Williams of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department as is the false imprisonment charge, Captain Bobby Martin said this evening.
Martin said the city’s counts reflect three victims ages 12, 13 and 7 and crimes which allegedly occurred in 2017. The county charge also reportedly occurred last year, Chief Deputy Scott Hall of the sheriff’s office said.
Martin said Williams continues to investigate and further charges from the city police are possible. “We’re still investigating and we ask anyone who has contact with Mr. Lewter that they feel is inappropriate to contact Investigator Williams.”
Martin said the police department received its information on Lewter within the last month.
In a statement, Hall said a report was filed Friday with the sheriff’s office regarding indecent liberties with a child.
Hall said the victim in the county’s case, which was investigated by Detective R.B. Biggerstaff, was a child under the age of 16. Both Hall and Martin declined to release the gender of the victims.
The investigation by Biggerstaff and Williams led to the county charge of indecent liberties with a child against Lewter.
Lewter, who had been detained in Florida two weeks ago because of the Roanoke Rapids charges, was extradited back to Halifax County.
He initially received a $75,000 bond for the city’s charges and he received a $100,000 bond for the county charges. He has a February 21 court date on the county charge and a March 7 court date on the city charges.
Martin said Lewter was reportedly familiar with the victims in the case.
Martin commended the work of Biggerstaff and Williams. “I commend them for utilizing the info they had. When agencies work together to solve crimes like that it’s instrumental and it just goes to show that we’re working together for the citizens of Halifax County.”
Hall said, “We’re working together in an effort that hopefully allows the victims to see some resolution.”
Anyone with further information is encouraged to call Williams at 252-533-2821 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.
