LINCOLNTON, N.C. — The Lincolnton Police Department announced Wednesday that detectives arrested several men who they said solicited children online for sex acts.
The three-month undercover operation involved detectives portraying a child on various social media outlets. The detectives had conversations with the suspects in which an agreement was made for the offenders to meet the child in Lincolnton in order to have a sexual relationship, according to police.
Investigators told Channel 9 one of the men, Blane Fitzgerald Gregory, was a teacher at Newton-Conover Middle School.
(Gregory)
Investigators said Gregory believed he was talking to a 14-year-old girl online. They believe that Gregory left school on Tuesday and headed to Lincolnton to meet the 14-year-old girl. He was arrested once he arrived at the location.
The Newton-Conover City Schools Superintendent Dr. David Stegall said Gregory handed in his resignation Wednesday morning. Stegall said that Gregory had worked in the district for only three months as an exceptional children teacher for students in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. A background check was conducted on Gregory before he was hired and it found no red flags, according to Stegall.
Channel 9 found out Gregory had also worked at Alexander County Schools as an exceptional children teacher at East Alexander Middle Schools, according to the district public information officer. The PIO said Gregory worked at East Alexander from July 2016 to January 2017.
Newton-Conover City Schools statement:
Blane Gregory began working for the Newton-Conover City Schools on January 30, 2017, as a teacher at Newton-Conover Middle School. Mr. Gregory resigned his employment and surrendered his teaching license on March 29, 2017. Mr. Gregory’s arrest does not involve any students in the Newton-Conover City School District.
Because this is a personnel matter, the school district cannot provide any further comment about Mr. Gregory, his arrest or his resignation. However, Newton-Conover City Schools can state that it conducts an extensive background screening, including contacting professional references and obtaining a criminal history, before any applicant is approved for employment.
Any questions regarding Mr. Gregory’s arrest should be directed to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department (or Lincolnton Police Department).
Gregory, Matthew Morrison, Jeffrey Churchwell, Michael Seidle, Paul Icenhour II, George Kanupp, Brent Odenheimer and Matthew Ellis all face the charge of soliciting a child for an unlawful sex act by computer and appearing to meet the child.
Top: Gregory, Morrison, Churchwell, Seidle
Bottom: Icenhour, Kanupp, Odenheimer, Ellis
“The main goal is to deter this type of behavior online and identify any other potential victims in an effort to provide services as needed and to develop any other potential charges towards any of these offenders associated with any of these cases,” said Lincoln police Lt. Jason Munday.
Authorities say the case is still active, and additional charges are possible.
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