Ex-Principal Charged With Sex Crimes Won't Get Lower Bond

LILLINGTON, N.C. — A Harnett County judge on Thursday refused to lower bond for a former Raleigh assistant principal accused of sex crimes with a child.

Judge George Murphy said that in light of the seriousness of the charges against Larry Ray Jewell, he could not reduce the $3.25 million bond.

Jewell, 57, of Dunn, was arrested last week and faces 24 counts of sex offense in a parental role, 15 counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, five counts of first-degree sexual offense and two counts of disseminating obscenity.

The charges involve one boy, for whom Jewell was "a substitute parent" between the ages of 10 and 20, and date as far back as 10 years, Dunn police have said.

In court documents filed this week, Jewell's attorney, Jesse Jones, tried to cast doubt upon the accuser's credibility, claiming he had a history of mental illness and that police have no physical evidence.

Jones also argued that the accuser and Jewell's wife, Carolyn Jewell, conspired to have Jewell removed from the house.

"The accuser made the statement to (Jewell) that 'I'm gonna get you out of mine and your wife's hair one way or the other.'" Jones said. "And what's the easiest way to do it? All you have to do is run down to the sheriff's department and say, 'Your Honor, somebody touched me seven years ago.'"

Jones said Jewell had also been considering a divorce because his wife was allegedly having an extramarital affair.

Outside the courtroom Thursday, Carolyn Jewell denied the allegations her husband made, but would not comment on whether she thought he was innocent of the charges against him.

"The things that he has put in these papers are total lies," she said. "And what the media is doing is making someone who's already a victim an even worse victim."

Assistant District Attorney Charles Bulloch said Thursday that the evidence in the case is mounting, including evidence that Jewell has shown a pattern of sexual abuse, and that there are other possible victims. He refused to elaborate, however.

Jewell, an assistant principal at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, resigned from his post Feb 15 shortly before he was arrested at the school. He was hired in Wake County in 1999 and had been at Southeast Raleigh since January 2005.

Investigators say there has been no indication that any of the alleged crimes happened at any Wake County school.

Jewell is expected to appear again in court on Tuesday for a probable cause hearing.