Sex offender, girlfriend face charges

Investigators said that Lenell Douglas Smith, 39, was living in his girlfriend's home in the 6200 block of Stoney Point Loop, which is 760 feet from a licensed daycare center. Investigators said Marcia Cox Woodard, 43, was aware that her boyfriend is a registered sex offender.

Authorities most recently verified Smith as living at 6312 Milton Drive in Fayetteville in May, according to the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.

Investigators said that Smith is also a suspect in a possible case of child abuse that occurred in Woodard's home that came to authorities' attention on July 7. Details of that case weren't released.

Smith was charged Wednesday with failure to change his address with the sex offender registry and living within 1,000 feet of a daycare center. He was given a $51,000 secured bond and scheduled to appear in court July 21.

Woodard was charged with failure to notify law enforcement of a sex offender registry violation. She has been released under a $5,000 bond.

Fayetteville police charged Smith with statutory rape involving a 15-year-old and taking indecent liberties with a minor in May 2004, investigators said.

He was convicted of attempted indecent liberties with a minor, given a split sentence and served 1½ years in prison, according to state Department of Correction records. He served an additional 16 months for violating his probation.

Smith also has convictions for assault on a female and drug dealing, DOC records state.