NC ex-cop held nude parties with alcohol as Fort Mill church volunteer, documents show

A former North Carolina police officer now faces additional sex and alcohol charges involving minors in York County, after officials from a Fort Mill church called deputies last month to report the allegations, according to law enforcement and court documents.

Erickson Douglas Lee, 25, of Charlotte, was charged with four sex crimes Tuesday by York County deputies before seven more charges were added Wednesday, jail and sheriff records show. Sheriff’s office spokesman Trent Faris said Thursday the seven new warrants were served against Lee in the York County jail.

The allegations are from when Lee was a youth leader volunteer at MorningStar Ministries, sheriff records show. Morningstar is located off Regent Parkway in northeastern York County, south of the North Carolina state line.

Warrants and a statement from the sheriff’s office allege Lee illegally touched the minors, gave the minors alcohol and showed them pornographic videos at Lee’s former home in Fort Mill. The warrants alleging Lee showed the pornographic videos identified him as a “youth leader” for the victims at the time.

Lee now faces 11 total South Carolina charges that include four counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors, four counts of disseminating obscenity to minors, first-degree assault and battery, second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, York County jail records show.

Lee was a police officer in Cornelius, which is north of Charlotte near Lake Norman, from 2021 until he resigned April 28. His resignation was the same day of his initial arrest in Charlotte.

After his release on bond in North Carolina, turned himself in Tuesday in York.

Sheriff incident report: Church officials called law enforcement

York County Sheriff’s Office records show officials at MorningStar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill first called law enforcement April 26 about Lee.

The church’s safety coordinator relayed allegations from families about improper sexual touching of minors, giving alcohol to them and hosting nude drinking parties at his former Fort Mill home, a sheriff’s office incident report states.

Church officials told deputies Lee started a youth program in 2018 and that he started hosting the alcohol parties in 2020, according to the incident report and arrest warrants.

Arrest warrants in the case obtained by The Herald allege incidents happened from 2020 to early 2023.

Church issues statement

In a written statement released Wednesday by Morningstar Ministries, officials didn’t name Lee. But they said a volunteer arrested on criminal sexual misconduct charges has not been associated with the church for months and that none of the alleged incidents happened at the church.

The church also stated it is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.

The full statement from MorningStar said:

“MorningStar Ministries has become aware that a former youth volunteer has been arrested with allegations of criminal sexual misconduct.

It does not appear that this individual was a current attending member of MorningStar Fellowship Church. It also does not appear that accusations and violations took place on Church property.

Because of his military background and law-enforcement career, there was no initial cause for suspicion.

Upon being notified of possible criminal misconduct, MorningStar immediately contacted the York County Sheriff Department, who in turn responded quickly to begin the investigation of the matter.

MorningStar is cooperating fully with law-enforcement. The former youth volunteer has not been associated with MorningStar for several months.

Because of the nature of the ongoing investigation, and the nature of the crimes involving minors, and for the protection of the minors, we cannot comment further.”

What happens now?

Lee’s bail was set at $77,000 late Wednesday on all 11 charges after his first appearance in court in York County, records show. As of Thursday afternoon, Lee remained in jail.

16th Circuit Public Defender B.J. Barrowclough said Thursday Lee has been assigned to a defense attorney in the office.

16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett, York County’s top prosecutor, told the Herald Thursday that, although Lee is former law enforcement officer, he knows of no potential conflicts and his office will prosecute the case.

Other than confirming that his office will handle prosecution, Brackett declined further comment.

No trial date has been set for Lee.