67-Year-Old Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Raping His Adopted Daughter — And Fathering Her Baby When She Was Just 12

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lawrence Drumgoole, 67, pleaded guilty to first-degree statutory rape after years of allegedly sexually abusing the little girl he and his wife took in as a foster child — starting when she was just 7 years old. The horror reached its sickest when he impregnated her at age 12, and she gave birth to his child at 13.

From Foster Kid to Adopted Daughter… to Victim

The victim entered the Drumgoole home as a 5-year-old foster child in New York back in 2006. The family adopted her around age 10, then moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Prosecutors say the sexual assaults went on for nearly a decade. When the now-adult survivor bravely came forward in 2024, Drumgoole initially denied everything. But DNA and paternity testing didn’t lie — he was 796 billion times more likely to be the biological father of the child. 

Drumgoole was arrested in late October 2024 and hit with multiple charges, including rape of a child and indecent liberties with a minor.

Sentencing: Up to 20 Years Behind Bars

Last month, a Mecklenburg County judge sentenced Drumgoole to 16 to 20 years and 3 months in prison after his guilty plea. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender for life once released.