© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Charlotte Jailer Fired, Accused Of Sex Crimes

Google Maps

A Mecklenburg County jailer has been arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes and fired from his job, Sheriff Garry McFadden said. Charlotte police say the survivor was in custody at the jail when the alleged assaults took place.

Mecklenburg County detention officer Kyle Harris was arrested Monday afternoon and released on a $60,000 unsecured bond. It's not known if Harris has an attorney.

An arrest warrant says Harris is charged with three counts of second-degree sexual offense, one count of attempted second-degree sexual offense, two counts of sexual battery and one count of a sexual act by a government employee. Public records show Harris has no previous criminal history. The Charlotte Observer reports that the survivor is a transgender inmate who was in pretrail detention.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said detectives began investigating Harris on May 20.

Under North Carolina law, second-degree sexual offense is a felony involving a sex act against a person’s will or if the person has a mental disability or is physically helpless.

McFadden announced Harris’s firing Monday afternoon. Harris had been on administrative leave during the police department’s criminal investigation. He had worked at the sheriff’s office since 2017.

“All employees of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office are required to demonstrate professional and ethical conduct,” McFadden said in a news release. “There is no place in this organization for any employee that violates the public’s trust and confidence.”

Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter

Select Your Email Format

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.