Registered sex offender facing new charges after escaping in North Carolina, officials say

NEWPORT, N.C. (WBTV) – A registered sex offender is facing more charges after he allegedly escaped while on a work release assignment in North Carolina on Thursday.

State prison officials said 44-year-old Kevin Leonard Worsham Jr. was on work release when he left his assignment in the small town of Teachey in Duplin County.

He returned on his own to the work release location early Friday morning and was arrested, according to officials.

Worsham has a criminal history dating back to 2004, including a past conviction that required him to register as a sex offender.

His current sentence came after he – being a registered sex offender – failed to properly report an address change. Prison records show he was convicted of the offense in Gaston County, and was expected to be released in December 2025.

Now that he is back in custody, Worsham is facing new felony escape charges.

He was being held in the minimum-security Carteret Correctional Center in Newport, but after his escape, he will be housed at Central Prison in Raleigh.

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