Teens facing sexual assault charges involving a minor
HOKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two teenage boys in Hoke County are facing sexual assault charges involving a minor.
"This is a very, very disturbing, very ugly situation we're dealing with right now," said Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin.
Deandre Spivey-McLean, 17, and JeSean McPhaul, 19, were arrested Wednesday following an investigation into allegations filed by a 14-year-old student at the Hoke County High School.
Peterkin said the victim told a Hoke County Sheriff's Office School Resource Officer on April 13 that she had been sexually assaulted.
The admission came after a concerned friend asked the girl why she was missing so much class, and the victim confided in her. Peterkin said the friend encouraged her to tell the SRO.
Authorities said the situation dates back to November or December, and is tied to the girl's three or four- day relationship with Spivey-McClean, who is also a student at Hoke High.
Peterkin said when the girl tried to break it off, Spivey-McClean threatened to post sexually explicit photos of the girl to social media unless she performed sex acts on him, McPhaul, and other men.
"What he was threatening her with, he really, really pushed it harder than what it actually was," Peterkin said, referring to the severity of the images. "It (the threat) frightened her to the point that she just didn't want to take a chance."
Peterkin said Spivey-McClean would summon the girl out of class via text, and McPhaul would be the driver.
Together, Peterkin said the pair would take the girl to six locations around the county, including a warehouse; where she would be forced perform sexual acts on them and other men.
Authorities, who say lots of evidence supports the victim's story, believe there may be two other men who oversaw the operation, and more school-aged victims.
They anticipate more arrests and charges.
Spivey-McLean was taken into custody at Hoke County High School Wednesday, while McPhaul turned himself in at the Hoke County Sheriff's Office.
Both teens, who are from Raeford, have been charged with six counts of second-degree statutory sex offense of a 13, 14, 15 year old and first-degree kidnapping.
Spivey-McLean has also been charged with six counts of human trafficking and sexual servitude, along with one count of second-degree forcible rape, first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He is currently under a $400,000 bond.
McPhaul is also facing six counts of statutory rape of a 13, 14, 15-year-old charges. He is currently under a $250,000 bond.
Adults at the teens' homes declined to comment the case Thursday. Peterkin said the victim is facing an "uphill (emotional) battle."
"I guess this is so disturbing when I see young men who think that this is okay. They have no respect," said Peterkin.
"The problem when you're dealing with human trafficking and things like this is what if they would have felt like she was going to come forth? What if they had felt that first," Peterkin asked. "Then they could have very easily taken her to one of these locations and we would have a different situation on our hands."
