Raleigh private school director charged with sex with children
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The Wake County Sheriff's Office has charged the 54-year-old director of a Raleigh private school with having sex with children.
According to an arrest warrant, there were two alleged victims, and the crimes happened between 2007 and 2012.
Both children were 13. Deputies would not say if they were students or if they were boys or girls.
According to its website, Stevens Prep Academy on Oak Creek Road is solely operated by Dr. Claude Mordecai Stevens.
The parent of one former student, who sometimes went along on field trips with the school's director, Dr. Claude Mordecai Stevens, told ABC11, "[The students]were always male when I was there."
Art Yerden of Cary, however, says he is not worried about his son, who was a high school student under Stevens 12 years ago.
"He would have told me if there was something wrong," Yerden said.
Although shocked by the charges, Yerden says he has nothing bad to say about Stevens.
"He handled himself well with my son and it was a good experience," Yerden said. "And he ended up getting his GED, getting his high school diploma from Stevens Prep."
Neighbors and property records shows Stevens also lives in a home that houses the school in northern Wake County on Oak Creek Road.
"We were obviously very surprised," said Tom Davenport, who lives next door. "You know, I'm shocked."
According to his bio, Stevens was a special education teacher in Wake County Public Schools in the 1980s before founding his private school.
Stevens is charged with eight counts of statutory rape and four counts of indecent liberties with a child.
Bond was set at $500,000 and Stevens was ordered not to have contact with the victims.
