A North Carolina state legislator now says he'll resign after pleading guilty to cyberstalking his estranged wife.
Republican state Rep. Cody Henson of Transylvania County says he submitted his resignation to House Speaker Tim Moore on Wednesday. A day earlier he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge in Brevard.
The charge will be dismissed if Henson completes 18 months of probation.
A representative for Henson had previously told reporters that the second-term legislator didn't plan to step down. Now Henson says he wants to do "what is best" for his children and focus on them.
Henson also has to complete a domestic violence treatment class, surrender any guns and is barred from contacting his estranged wife, Kelsey Henson. A judge issued her a protective order against Henson earlier this year after determining texts she received amounted to harassment, according to The Associated Press.
"I realize I was overly zealous in trying to save my marriage and mistakes were made," Henson said in announcing his resignation. "I had no intention of hurting anyone, including my estranged wife. Many of the statements made in court yesterday by the assistant attorney general and circulated by the media were based on false and unsubstantiated claims by my estranged wife."
Kelsy Henson, meanwhile, told the court during the hearing that she felt she had beat the odds in the "deep-seated brotherhood that controls this county and state," reported Carolina Public Press.
Rep Henson Resignation Letter by WFAE on Scribd
