court records: Former Asheville-area fitness care director indicted in newborn rape case

ASHEVILLE — After a grand jury indicted a former MAHEC director accused of newborn rape to Buncombe County sophisticated courtroom Jan. 9, a brand new action filed by means of the defense attorney provides extra aspect into the case.

Shane Lunsford, 43, of Black Mountain, become arrested and charged with two counts of rape of a child through an adult and five counts of statutory sex offense with a toddler on Nov. 8, 2021. His protection lawyer, Sean Devereux, previously referred to he is asking the Buncombe County District lawyer's office to "consider additional proof that we've" earlier than going to a grand jury. A motion filed Oct. 2 might also give insight into that evidence.

The Buncombe County Sheriff's workplace all started a sexual abuse investigation on Oct. 13, 2022, after an 11-yr-historical disclosed Lunsford had sexually assaulted them, according to search warrants received by way of the Citizen times. the following day, an additional eleven-12 months-historical sufferer pronounced identical abuse.

one of the crucial alleged victims became a foster baby in Lunsford's domestic at the time, in accordance with court docket files. The newborn became taken out of their organic parent's domestic in 2019 following suspicions of actual abuse, the motion states.

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The newborn changed into then positioned in three distinct foster buildings, later telling Lunsford that they have been sexually abused in one or greater of these homes. Lunsford then said the allegations to the North Carolina little ones's Hope Alliance, a Joint commission-authorized nonprofit affiliated with United method that gives foster care and other baby services in North Carolina, based on the motion.

The alleged victim changed into first positioned in Lunsford's home temporarily in may 2020, however after two different family placements have been unsuccessful, they again to the home in September 2020. The movement discloses one of the foster infant's behavior while within the domestic, as well as statements made by way of the infant's assigned foster care social employee with Burke County DSS, Chelsea Powell, in a November 2020 email to her supervisors.

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In June 2021, Lunsford said in an email to Arista Clifton at little ones's Hope Alliance, based on the movement: "I simply wanted to will let you know that (the newborn) became upset nowadays after we have been speaking about issues surrounding (their) cellphone. all over the conversation (they) threatened to inform people I raped (them) if I do away with (their) cell."

at the time, the Lunsford home become accredited as a Foster domestic by the instructing-family affiliation, based on courtroom statistics. Lunsford has fostered roughly 30 little ones and served as board president of the Foster family unit Alliance of North Carolina unless 2019 and on the board unless 2020, the Citizen times prior to now said.

A psychiatric diagnostic evaluation became performed on the foster child in July 2021 and the doctor is quoted saying in response to the contrast, "it's strongly counseled that (the child) stay in (their) existing foster home placement with level 2, therapeutic foster domestic helps."

Lunsford lived in the home along with his wife of 19 years, Erin Lunsford, who became a nurse practitioner.

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Three months later, the child turned into overheard via a classmate telling yet another pupil that Lunsford had sexually assaulted (them), the movement says. The pupil suggested what they heard to a faculty workforce adult. The school contacted Buncombe County department of Social features, in line with court docket facts.

A Buncombe County DSS employee then interviewed the alleged victim and spoke with Det. Tim Teves of the Black Mountain Police branch, who wrote in case notes that the newborn told the DSS employee that Lunsford had been sexual with (them) and one other child, court docket statistics say.

both alleged victims underwent diverse CME forensic interviews and interviews with contributors of the newborn protection crew at Mission children's specialists.

the primary child informed interviewers that Lunsford made them "really uncomfortable" with the aid of inserting his hands insider their pants and that he had placed a physique part in them "a couple of time," the motion says. The 2nd infant additionally brought up to interviewers that Lunsford had made inappropriate sexual advantages.

Following the accusations, DSS initiated an investigation into Lunsford's home and "substantiated" abuse in the domestic, a determination that the Lunsfords appealed, in keeping with the movement. all through the investigation, Lunsford voluntarily moved out of the domestic, in line with the courtroom document.

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whereas Teves and the DSS worker have been at Lunsford's home for an inspection on Oct. 13, 2021, the victim's therapist arrived on the domestic, in response to a search warrant acquired by way of the Citizen instances.

right through an interview, the therapist allegedly described one of the most victims as having a heritage of threatening americans.

Detectives also finished a search warrant on Lunsford's domestic on Oct. 22, 2021, gathering two USB flash drives and an exterior complicated force that have been "believed to comprise some or the entire facts," the warrants stated.

Lunsford's defense guidance states they sent a letter to the District lawyer, claiming "superficiality" within the investigation into the accusations and suggesting diverse sources of background. The defense claims the letter become "mostly overlooked," in response to the movement.

Lunsford is the previous director of psychiatry on the Mountain enviornment health training center, the place he labored from March 2019 to December 2021, MAHEC Communications supervisor Kathi Petersen prior to now pointed out. He turned into positioned on administrative leave from MAHEC on Oct. 15, 2021.

He turned into launched from prison in 2021, after posting a $25,000 bond. Per the conditions of Lunsford's liberate, he is to have no contact with the victims and is not to come to Fearless Athletics, a babies's gymnastics gymnasium in Arden the place Lunsford became a volunteer and where his biological and foster toddlers have participated in classes.

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The Citizen times reached out to Devereux for comment but did not get hold of a response earlier than press time. District lawyer Todd Williams advised the Citizen instances that he's "ethically obligated to chorus from public comment outside of court about pending cases."

Ryley Ober is the public safeguard Reporter for Asheville Citizen instances, a part of the US today network. e mail her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

this text at the beginning regarded on Asheville Citizen instances: Former Asheville MAHEC director indicted in alleged rape case