Apex rape suspect removed from Boy Scouts

David Cheyenne Freedman, of 5201 Creek Glen Way, is charged with first-degree rape of a child. He remained in the Wake County jail Thursday under a $1 million bond.

Freedman and the girl were in a consensual relationship, Apex police said, but in North Carolina it is illegal for a minor and an adult to have sex.

"It’s not appropriate for a 12-year-old to have a relationship with an older male at all, even if it is consensual, which is why it’s a crime in this state," Apex police Captain Ann Stephens said.

“While these allegations appear to be unrelated to scouting, this behavior runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands,” said John Akerman, executive of the boy scouts’ regional office, in a statement. “Upon learning of these allegations, we took immediate action to remove this individual and preclude him from future participation in our programs.”

Freedman also faces charges from Fuquay-Varina police in connection with the sexual battery of a 15-year-old girl at Southern Wake Academy on Dec. 19. Freedman and the alleged victim were both students at the charter school, Fuquay-Varina police said. Freedman, who was a junior, allegedly touched the victim in a sexual manner, according to court documents. He withdrew from the school after he was arrested in March. In addition, he has a pending simple assault charge for punching a man in the face and placing him in a headlock on April 30.

School officials knew about the incident when it was reported to police in January, but Freedman was not suspended because the charge was a misdemeanor, which did not violate school policy, school director David Thomas said.

Freeman attended the charter school for two years and had no record of any problems, Thomas said.

Both victims attended the Fuquay-Varina school with Freeman, officials said.

"He has never had any issue of suspensions, behavior problems," he said. "He’s always been very polite, respectful to all our staff and students here."