Ex-Fayetteville teacher pleads guilty to child sex charges

A former Fayetteville elementary school teacher pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing boys, authorities said.

Bradley Norman Dent, 49, of 6361 River Ridge Road, pleaded guilty to five counts of taking indecent liberties with children and one count of sexual battery.

Dent was originally charged for offenses involving five victims, including a former student, a neighbor and three former counseling clients.

He taught in the Cumberland County Schools system for more than seven years, including as a fourth-grade teacher at Long Hill Elementary School, but he resigned in 2013 after his arrest. He also worked as a part-time counselor at Carolina Counseling Services.

Dent has already served 15 months in jail, and he was given credit for that time served, with the rest of his sentence suspended to five years on probation, authorities said. He also will be required to register as a sex offender and maintain that registration for 30 years.