Fayetteville teacher charged with indecent liberties with a child, released on bond

A Fayetteville man was arrested on Tuesday by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and is facing charges of indecent liberties with a child.

Dominic Jrael Hunter, 37, appeared in court on Tuesday. According to court documents, the incident happened in 2015.

He is accused of “unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did take indecent liberties with [a] minor” while he was a teacher at Howard Learning Academy, now known as Ramsey Street Alternative School.

The victim was a student at the school, according to court documents.

Hunter was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond.

WRAL has reached out to Cumberland County Schools to see if Hunter is still employed by the district. District officials released a statement about the arrest: 

District officials are aware that a Cumberland County Schools (CCS) employee was arrested and charged earlier today based on allegations of inappropriate behavior. As soon as the alleged behavior was brough to our attention, we reported it to law enforcement and suspended the employee with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. 
We take these allegations seriously. They do not reflect the standards we expect of those who serve our students. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. 
As part of our hiring process, CCS conducts thorough background checks. Each year, employees also review the CCS Employee Handbook, which reinforces expectations and district procedures. We are fully cooperating with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and will continue to support their investigation. Dr. Lindsay Whitley, Associate Superintendent, Cumberland County Schools

County officials said Hunter was a music teacher at Howard Learning Academy at the time of the incident. He began working as a band teacher at Douglas Byrd High in 2019.

Deputies encourage parents to speak with their children about inappropriate touching and appropriate relationships.

We take these allegations seriously. They do not reflect the standards we expect of those who serve our students. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority.

Deputies encourage parents to speak with their children about inappropriate touching and appropriate relationships.

Anyone with additional information about this investigation is asked to contact Special Victims Detective S. Odenwelder at (910) 677-5477.

People can also send anonymous tips to Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crimestoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (8477), or online by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org or downloading the FREE "P3 Tips" app available for Apple devices in the Apple App Store and available for Android devices in Google Play.