Former band teacher faces new charges for sexual misconduct that reportedly happened more than 30 years ago

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A former Orange County middle school band teacher once again faces charges related to sexual misconduct crimes investigators say happened in 1986 and 1987.

Bill Pendergrass, 60, previously faced six statutory rape charges for the crimes, but Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman had to drop those charges because statutory rape was not state law until 1995.

On Oct. 16, the Wake County District Attorney's Office filed new charges against Pendergrass. This time those charges are for indecent liberties with a child.

All of the charges are related to the same victim and the same time frame.

Pendergrass was arrested Oct. 4 after a woman came forward accusing him of acting inappropriately with her when she was 15. Pendergrass would have been 27 at the time.

Pendergrass was previously a band teacher at Gravelly Hill Middle School in Orange County. He was also previously the band director at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, but that school released him in May after the school received a complaint about his previous conduct, according to our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer.