Child sex charges filed
Published Saturday, November 7, 2009
LEWISTON WOODVILLE – A 54-year-old man is behind bars after being charged with a pair of child sex offenses.
Following a month-long investigation, Lewiston Woodville Police Chief B. Winston Panton arrested Walter Roger Albertson of 208-D Oak Drive Wednesday afternoon. He charged Albertson with one count of first degree sexual offense with a child under 16 and indecent liberties with a minor.
Chief Panton said the arrest came after a person called the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office with information that a family member had been sexually assaulted by another member of the family. The sheriff’s office referred the case to Chief Panton because it was in the town limits.
“I met with (a family member) who told me what the child said happened,” Chief Panton reported. “Since I am not certified in questioning a child of that age, I contacted Tedi Bear (a child advocacy center) in Greenville.”
The doctors at the center talked to the five-year-old male child and Chief Panton watched the video of the interview, after which he filed the charges.
“After the interview, I spoke with the District Attorney and then filed the charges,” Chief Panton said.
Albertson was taken into custody Wednesday and placed under a $10,000 cash bond. On Thursday, during his first appearance in Bertie County District Court, Judge Thomas R.J. Newbern increased bail to a $60,000 cash bond.
Chief Panton said he appreciated the work of Tedi Bear and those who worked at the facility.
“I appreciate the work of the doctors at Tedi Bear,” he said. “How they were able to tell what happened was amazing. It shows that when you’re trained in something, you understand it better.”
Albertson’s next court date is set for Dec. 3.
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