On July 27th, a McDowell County Jury convicted 51-year-old Stephen Eric Strange of Marion on two counts of Statutory Rape of a Child by an Adult, two counts of Statutory Sex Offense of a Child by an Adult and four counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child. He was sentenced to two consecutive active prison terms of 300-420 months in the NC Department of Adult Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael McEnery.
On February 1, 2022, Detectives with McDowell County Sheriff’s Office received a report alleging Strange had sexually abused a child under the age of thirteen. Detective Billie Brown investigated the case with the help of Lily’s Place and subsequently charged Strange on June 28, 2022.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank District Attorney Ted Bell and his staff along with team members from Lily’s place for the assistance with this investigation.
"These types of cases are extremely sensitive to work and can really take a toll on our detectives and prosecutors. I appreciate the dedicated effort by Detective Brown and others working this case, along with our DA's office. Great job to all involved." -Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan
