NC State maintenance worker accused of inappropriate relationship with teen at church

[Artaxerxes II]

https://www.cbs17.com/crime-tracker/nc- ... at-church/

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — An NC State maintenance worker accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a teen at his church has been indicted by a grand jury on more than half a dozen charges.
Alex Hoffelt, 34, of Cary, faces six counts of indecent liberties with child, kidnapping and felonious restraint. He is employed in NC State’s facilities maintenance division.

Court documents show in late Feb. 2023, the parents of a teen went to the Morrisville Police Department to report an inappropriate relationship between a pastor at their church (Hope Community Church) and their daughter. The girl was between 14 and 15 at the time of the reported crime.
According to search warrants, Hoffelt’s wife contacted the teen’s parents concerned about the amount of time her husband was spending with the girl. When the teen’s parents looked at her phone, warrants say they found text messages spanning from Oct. 2022 to Jan. 2023.
When Morrisville police extracted the teen’s cell phone data, they reportedly found more than 10,000 messages exchanged between Hoffelt and the teen. Warrants say both Hoffelt and the teen expressed their love for each other in these text messages.
Police say the two exchanged pet names like “Sunshine” “Chicken nugget” and “Old man”. They also allegedly discussed a reward chart where the victim would be “rewarded with hugs” for doing specific things.

Among the intimate conversations, police say Hoffelt described the girl as a his “secret lover” and said he wanted to take her on a date.
During an interview with police, court documents say the teen told investigators Hoffelt touched her backside while they were out on a walk in her neighborhood and another time at their church. Warrants say she told investigators he also tried to kiss her.

On at least one occasion, the teen’s parents reported Hoffelt gave their daughter a ride home from school without their permission.
The teen told police that on Feb. 14, 2023, Hoffelt asked her to delete messages between them. The girl’s parents reported Hoffelt 10 days later.
If found guilty, Hoffelt could face up to five years behind bars for each of the six indecent liberties charges and about five years for the kidnapping and restraint charges. He is currently out on bond and scheduled to be back in court in Jan. 2025.