New Bern man charged with child sex crimes held on $3.5M bond

Todd Wetherington, Sun Journal
·2 min read
A New Bern man is being held under at the Craven County Sheriff’s Office under a $3.5 million bond after being charged with multiple sexual offenses with a child.
A New Bern man is being held under at the Craven County Sheriff’s Office under a $3.5 million bond after being charged with multiple sexual offenses with a child.

The head of a New Bern training and fitness program for children has been charged with sex crimes with a juvenile.

According to information released by the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Vincent McDuffie, 32, of Mary Jane Lane in New Bern, has been charged with felony statutory rape of a child and felony statutory sexual offense with a child. He is being held in the Craven County Sheriff’s Office Confinement Facility under a $3.5 million bond.

According to the sheriff’s office, on Nov. 20 they received information involving the abuse of a minor by a New Bern man. The investigation revealed evidence of sexual abuse of a minor female and identified McDuffie as the perpetrator.

McDuffie was taken into custody as the result of a traffic stop on November 21. Deputies located a loaded handgun concealed in McDuffie’s vehicle.

According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the Craven County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Bureau at 252-636-6632.

More:Free fitness program in New Bern aims to 'transform' children mentally, physically

McDuffie is the director and founder of the Dawg Pound Athletics program in New Bern that began last June. The program provides fitness training at Fort Totten Park for grade-school youth in New Bern and surrounding areas.

In a June 22 Sun Journal article on the new program, McDuffie said he created the fitness platform so children could become leaders by transforming their minds and body.

McDuffie previously ran a training program for adults, "Fit Friends on Deck," that was created in 2018 but is currently inactive.

Until recently, McDuffie worked as a teacher’s assistant at Pamlico County Primary School. His last day of employment with the school system was October 31, according to Superintendent Lisa Jackson.

Reporter Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: New Bern man charged with child sex crimes held on $3.5M bond