Police: Buncombe special student assistant took indecent liberties with child; out of jail
A Buncombe County Schools employee who worked with students with physical and intellectual disabilities took indecent liberties with a child, according to police and a public records database.
Greg Sharrits, 60, of Arden, was arrested and charged May 29 with the one felony indecent liberties count, a spokesperson for Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said. A Citizen Times database of public employees showed Sharrits was an intensive intervention assistant with the Progressive Education Program, though it is not clear if that was his job at the time of his arrest. An arrest warrant said the alleged crime occurred May 28. The last day of class for the system is June 10.
Sharrits was placed in the county jail under a $200,000 bond and released May 31 to a bail bondsman, sheriff's spokesperson Christina Esmay said June 3.
A schools spokesperson declined to say how long Sharrits worked for Buncombe County Schools, what his most recent position was and what kind of access he had to students.
"Mr. Greg Sharrits is no longer employed by the Buncombe County Schools system. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff," schools spokesperson Ken Ulmer said.
Esmay, the sheriff's spokesperson, declined to offer more details because of what she said was an open investigation.
Sharrits in a brief phone interview with the Citizen Times said he worked for the school system until May 31 when he took early retirement. He declined to give more details about his job. A social media account under his name said he was an instructional assistant with the schools. The Citizen Times database listed Sharrits in the intensive intervention assistant position in the Progressive Education Program, or PEP, in 2021 and 2022 — the last two updates of the database. In 2022 his salary was shown as $28,805.
PEP is a school that serves about 150 students in K-12, and sometimes beyond, who have moderate to severe physical and intellectual disabilities.
He is to appear in Buncombe County District Court on June 21. Sharrits' current attorney public defender, Ehsan Akhavi, declined to comment. According to the warrant, Sharrits took "immoral, improper and indecent liberties" with a child under the age of 16.
Indecent liberties is a Class F, or mid-level felony, in North Carolina and is punishable by up to five years in prison, depending upon circumstances and prior convictions.
Detectives with the sheriff's Major Case Unit made the arrest, Esmay said in a May 31 news release.
"We want to thank those who acted hastily to apprehend Greg Sharrits and provide a sense of peace for the survivor," the spokesperson said.
Albert Pavon, a former exceptional children's teacher with the school system, served three months in prison and is now on probation after pleading guilty to indecent liberties with a child during the 2021-2022 school year at Erwin High.
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Those who have been victimized in a sex crime can get help at the Family Justice Center at 828-250-6900 or Our Voice at 828-252-0562.
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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Police: school assistant took indecent liberties w/ child; out of jail
