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Democratic lawmaker hit with child sex charges, calls grow for immediate resignation

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Democratic lawmaker hit with child sex charges, calls grow for immediate resignation

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A Democratic lawmaker in North Carolina is behind bars this week after being charged with felonies tied to alleged sexual conduct with a minor.

State Rep. Cecil Brockman, who represents Guilford County, is facing two counts of statutory rape of a child between the ages of 13 and 15 and two counts of indecent liberties with a child, according to court records obtained by Fox News Digital.

The 41-year-old legislator is being held without bond at the High Point Detention Center and is expected to make a court appearance on Thursday. Jail records on Wednesday confirmed he remains in custody at the Guilford County facility.

The magistrate’s order says Brockman is accused of engaging in sex acts with a 15-year-old in August and is twice alleged to have committed and attempted to commit “a lewd and lascivious act” upon the juvenile, the Associated Press reported.

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State Rep. Cecil Brockman, who represents Guilford County, is facing two counts of statutory rape of a child between the ages of 13 and 15 and two counts of indecent liberties with a child, according to court records. (Guilford County Jail)

According to WRAL, court documents indicate that Brockman attempted to contact the alleged victim while they were hospitalized and sought to “use his status to gain information on the whereabouts of the victim.”

Brockman, who was first elected to the state House in 2014 and has served since 2015, represents portions of the High Point and Guilford County area. He has served on committees related to education and appropriations.

Reaction from state leaders was swift.

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Rep. Bryan Cohn, D-Durham, called the charges “deeply disturbing.” 

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“These allegations are unconscionable and incompatible with public service. He should resign immediately. No one is above the law,” Cohn wrote in a post on X. 

The North Carolina Democratic Party also released a statement to Fox News Digital, joining calls for Brockman’s resignation. 

“The North Carolina Democratic Party calls on Representative Brockman to immediately resign. The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible for him to effectively represent his community,” the statement read. 

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NC legislature

The great seal of North Carolina is seen outside the state legislature building in Raleigh on May 9, 2016. Cecil Brockman has served as a state legislator since 2015. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

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House Minority Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, told WRAL, “This is a developing situation and it is important to let the legal process unfold.” He added that the allegations “if true, would disqualify him from public office.”

North Carolina state legislature building

The North Carolina state legislature building is seen in Raleigh. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

Republican leadership echoed those calls. House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, condemned the alleged conduct.

“This behavior is appalling and has no place in the General Assembly. I am calling on Brockman’s resignation immediately,” Jones wrote in a post on X. 

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As of Wednesday evening, no public statement had been issued by Brockman or his legal representation. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday in Guilford County District Court.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

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Father-to-be wakes from coma, tells police girlfriend crashed car on purpose before he dies

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Father-to-be wakes from coma, tells police girlfriend crashed car on purpose before he dies

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A 22-year-old man died earlier this month from injuries sustained in a car crash — but not before waking from a coma and telling police his girlfriend intended to cause the wreck.

Daniel Waterman was a passenger in the car that his girlfriend, Leigha Mumby, 24, was driving along an interstate in Flagler County, Florida, during Super Bowl weekend in February. He suffered critical injuries and died from those injuries on Oct. 8, FOX35 Orlando reported.

Waterman’s mother told Syracuse.com that he was in a coma for a time before waking and recovering enough to tell investigators what happened before the crash.

Troopers said Waterman spoke to them from his hospital bed, where he claimed that Mumby intentionally caused the crash after she allegedly said, “I don’t care what happens. You’ll get what you deserve.”

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Daniel Waterman died on Oct. 8 from injuries he suffered in a February car crash. (Heather Waterman via FOX35 Orlando WOFL)

Waterman’s grandfather, Michael Gilman, told CNYCentral.com that Waterman broke his neck, his back, his collarbone in three places, dislocated both hips, broke his leg and his ankle.

“He broke everything,” he said. “It wasn’t much, not broken. He was scratched up all over the place.”

Mumby was initially arrested in July and charged with reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Mumby had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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Leigha Mumby mugshot

Leigha Mumby, 24, had charges upgraded to vehicular homicide following Waterman’s death. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)

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Prosecutors upgraded Mumby’s earlier charges to vehicular homicide earlier this week following Waterman’s death. She was booked into the Flagler County Jail and released after posting a $150,000 bond.

“This was not an accident,” John Hager, an attorney for the Waterman family, told FOX35. “Evidence showed she didn’t use the brakes — the car was speeding up at the time of impact.”

Hager also confirmed that Mumby was pregnant with Waterman’s child at the time of the crash and has since given birth.

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A GoFundMe set up for Waterman said that he was excited about becoming a father.

“Daniel was an excited, soon-to-be father of a baby girl,” it said. “He wanted nothing more than to come home to her and to the family who loved him so dearly. There was not a day that went by that he didn’t express that he just wanted to come home.”

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VA Dems reject resolution condemning political violence while House speaker cuts off Jay Jones references

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VA Dems reject resolution condemning political violence while House speaker cuts off Jay Jones references

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Virginia Democrats brushed off calls to condemn political violence this week after pulling the legislature back into special session to push a redistricting amendment aimed at reshaping state maps before the 2026 general election.

Del. Delores Oates, R-Front Royal, was yielded the floor to address a House session on Wednesday; introducing a women’s group called “Moms Say No To Violence Against Children.”

But, Oates’ introduction was short-lived, as she began to speak about how “our children are Virginia’s future, the heart of our families and a gift from God.”

“When anyone, especially a public figure, wishes harm on a child – that they die in their mother’s arms so they can win a political point, these moms refuse to stay silent.”

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After Oates uttered “die in their mother’s arms,” House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, slammed his gavel and announced that Oates was “out of order.”

Scott appeared to recognize Oates’ reference to text messages by Jay Jones, the Democrats’ candidate for attorney general, about a former Republican leader. Scott is a staunch defender of Jones who told reporters after the gubernatorial debate that Republicans should pay more attention to President Donald Trump’s past comments about ex-Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.

Scott then uttered, “sergeant-at-arms,” as if to threaten Oates with formal punishment for continuing to speak.

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Across the Capitol on the Senate side, Republicans unsuccessfully sought to insert an amendment into the text of the original resolution outlining the special session, which would have recognized the issue of political violence in Virginia.

Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg – who is also party chairman – drafted an edit “condemning politicians who wish death on children and families of elected officials.”

That too was quickly nixed by Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell of Mount Vernon, who recommended his colleagues reject it.

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“I don’t think this is something we need to take up as part of this special session,” Surovell said.

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“It’s something that we can easily take up in the regular session later — it’s not something that’s urgent right now.”

The Senate GOP caucus responded with outrage, writing on X that “Surovell just told the world it’s ‘not urgent right now’ to condemn politicians who wish death on their opponents’ children.”

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Shortly after Surovell’s formal recommendation, the Senate voted 21-17 along party lines to follow his advice and reject the amendment.

The move would’ve added such language to the state Constitution, according to Del. David Owen, R-Short Pump.

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“This is why elections matter,” Owen said. “Don’t sit on the sidelines. Make a plan to vote today.”

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Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell of Mount Vernon, left; House Speaker Don Scott Jr. of Portsmouth, right (Minh Connors for The Washington Post via Getty Images; Shannon Finney/Getty Images for SEIU)

Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, who was personally subjected to a death threat that led to the arrest of a Dinwiddie County man, fumed at Democrats’ rejection.

“As someone who has personally experienced politically motivated threats, I am appalled,” she said.

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“Violence has no place in our politics and refusing to condemn it is indefensible.”

In a statement, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for governor, called the situation “disgraceful.”

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GOP lawmaker vows he’ll investigate NCAA sports betting rule change, warns ‘integrity of the game’ in crisis

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GOP lawmaker vows he’ll investigate NCAA sports betting rule change, warns ‘integrity of the game’ in crisis

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Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., vowed on the “Ruthless” podcast Thursday in an exclusive interview that he will hold the NCAA accountable over a rules change regarding athletes engaging in sports betting.

Guthrie sent a letter to National Collegiate Athletic Association President Charlie Baker, questioning their decision to allow student athletes and college athletic department staff to bet on professional sports.  

“The timing of the NCAA’s decision to allow student athlete and staff participation in professional sports betting raises questions about sports betting and integrity of sport in the NCAA,” Guthrie wrote. 

While college athletes are still unable to bet on college sports, Guthrie warned in a letter that there are those who believe it may be hazardous to allow college athletes to bet on professional sports, noting that even the NCAA itself, “previously expressed concern about the pervasiveness and potential harm of sports betting on young adults” and yet beginning next month, student athletes will be able to place bets. 

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Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., warned that America must be extremely careful with the new world of legalized sports betting. (Ruthless Podcast YouTube channel)

Amid recent sports betting scandals, the timing of such a rule change, the letter argued, is concerning, and proceeded to ask numerous questions such as, “Why is the NCAA changing its policy allowing student athletes to bet on professional sports?”

Guthrie spoke to the “Ruthless” podcast on Thursday, announcing his NCAA letter.

“The integrity of the game is in question,” the lawmaker said. “And my understanding with the NBA, a lot of these gambling houses are the people that apps, I guess, is what flagged it. Because they saw these different patterns.”

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Guthrie expressed concern that while the NCAA has moved to permit student-athletes to bet on professional sports, many questions remain about who made this decision, how the decision was reached, and how oversight and control will be implemented. He emphasized that these athletes are closely connected—often moving from college to the pros and maintaining personal relationships—making it especially important to understand how such relationships and communications will be managed under this new policy.

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Co-host speaking

“Yeah, ‘Maybe pull a hamstring in the second quarter,’” co-host Michael Duncan joked, a person might suggest to his athlete friend, looking to win big.

Co-host Michael Duncan joked that friends of athletes might pressure them to throw the game in order to win a bet. 

“Yeah, I’m just saying, you don’t know that – hopefully they wouldn’t do that, but it certainly sets that situation up,” the congressman warned.

Guthrie went on to note the strange ways that unethical gambling behaviors can pop up, such as citing how player-manager Pete Rose defended how he only bet on his team winning, something which Guthrie noted even himself thought innocuous, “’If you bet on your team to win, aren’t you gonna try harder?’”

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However, Guthrie noted how he learned from sports gamblers how even this can be ethically hazardous, due to what games one strategically decides not to bet on.

“So if he’s betting $10,000 on this game, but nothing on the next game, he knows there’s a pitcher not pitching well, has a player got a sore foot. You know, that’s what you don’t know,” he said. “And so I agree. So you can’t have athletes, particularly people that communicate as they do, even though, you know, a college player is not on a pro team, but if his best friends own the pro team, and you’re seeing him betting, then you’re going, ‘Well, maybe we should bet that way.’”

Ruthless

“Ruthless” can be listened to on all podcast platforms and can be watched on YouTube. (Fox News Media)

“If there’s one guy that I trust to look into it, it is you because you’re a sports fan, you have tons of integrity, and you actually try to find the facts, not just get your name next to the league letters in the newspaper,” co-host Josh Holmes said. 

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