Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Guilford legislator charged with statutory rape, indecent liberties with a child

Cecil Brockman mugshot
Courtesy Guilford County Sheriff's Department
The Guilford County Sheriff's Department arrested Rep. Cecil Brockman on Wednesday.

Guilford County Rep. Cecil Brockman was arrested and charged for sexual offenses on Wednesday.

He's facing four felony charges related to indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a 15-year-old.

Brockman was arrested by the Guilford County Sheriff's Office and is being held at the High Point Jail.

Court records show the date of the offense was Aug. 15, 2025. He is not authorized to be released, documents show, on account of the nature of the charges, his status as a state representative, and that he has "made attempts to contact the victim in this case," including trying to "locate the juvenile in the hospital."

In separate statements, the North Carolina Democratic Party, Republican House Speaker Destin Hall and House Democratic leader Rep. Robert Reives called on Brockman to resign immediately his General Assembly seat.

“The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible for him to effectively represent his community,” the state Democratic Party said in a news release.

An assistant for Brockman at his legislative office said Brockman didn’t have a comment Thursday morning. A voice message left on a phone number connected to Brockman wasn’t immediately returned. Electronic court records provided no information on whether he had an attorney.

The minimum prison sentence for someone convicted of a statutory sexual offense count is at least 12 years, according to state sentencing directives, while taking indecent liberties with a child can be punishable by active prison time, probation, or both.

Brockman, who was first elected to the legislature in 2014, has been targeted politically by fellow Democrats in recent years for his willingness to vote with Republicans on some key bills. In July, he and a couple other House Democrats helped override successfully some of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's vetoes.

A past supporter of some school choice initiatives, Brockman was tapped as one of four vice chairs on the House K-12 education committee during this General Assembly term, joining three Republicans. Brockman narrowly survived a primary challenge in the 2024 election for the 60th House District seat that represents southwest Guilford County.

Records show Brockman is set to have his first appearance hearing in the Guilford County Courthouse Thursday at 2 p.m.

Amy Diaz began covering education in North Carolina’s Piedmont region and High Country for WFDD in partnership with Report For America in 2022. Before entering the world of public radio, she worked as a local government reporter in Flint, Mich. where she was named the 2021 Rookie Writer of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. Diaz is originally from Florida, where she interned at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and freelanced for the Tampa Bay Times. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Florida, but truly got her start in the field in elementary school writing scripts for the morning news. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate