Hickory High teacher charged

Allegations of taking indecent liberties with female JROTC student

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

A Hickory High School teacher who resigned last week amid allegations of sexual misconduct was charged Tuesday with taking indecent liberties with a student, police said.

Charles Allan Wilkins, 44, was charged with taking indecent liberties with one of his female JROTC students on school property, said Capt. Thurman Whisnant of the Hickory Police Department.

The incident, Whisnant said, happened on the Hickory High campus after members of the JROTC performed at a home basketball game. Whisnant would not discuss the case in detail but said investigators do not think Wilkins and the student had sexual intercourse.

Officials at the school learned about the incident Feb. 11 when students approached them with information about Wilkins and the student, Whisnant said.

Wilkins, who resigned Feb. 11, was hired as school's JROTC teacher in October. He had recently retired from the U.S. military and had not worked in a public school system, Whisnant said.

Police are still looking at Wilkins' history and are talking with students, but Whisnant said they think this is an isolated incident.

Wilkins was being held in the Catawba County jail Tuesday on a $25,000 bond and is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday.


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