Former Goldsboro teacher accepts Alford plea, admits evidence exists that he molested female students
A former Wayne County teacher on Friday agreed to an Alford plea, admitting that the prosecution has enough evidence for a conviction on charges he molested two 11-year-old female students at Faith Christian Academy.
Posted — UpdatedRiley was charged with multiple counts of indecent liberties with a child based on allegations from the mid-1990s.
Riley was arrested in August 2020 – more than 20 years after the alleged crimes – and his defense attorneys said he was unaware of any allegations before that time.
Prosecutors told the jury that Riley groomed the girls over time, singling them out with special attention before escalating his behavior into sexual abuse.
She said Riley tried to kiss her on two occasions.
When asked why she didn’t report the abuse as a child in the 1990s, she became emotional, saying, "I felt dirty, I felt shameful, I felt like somehow it would all be my fault."
Relatives of the victims told WRAL News they were not happy that the case did not result in a guilty verdict.
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