A worker at a group home in Johnston County is facing serious charges after being accused of sex crimes by the local sheriff’s office.
The suspect, a 54-year-old man named Stephen Jerome Atkinson from Wilson, North Carolina, was taken into custody on May 28 by authorities. The charges against him include engaging in sexual acts as a substitute parent/custodian and first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The allegations are truly disturbing.
The incident took place on Old Batten Road in Selma, North Carolina, and public records indicate that the facility is run by Savin Grace, LLC, as per the N.C. Secretary of State’s website.
According to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, a report was made on May 6, 2024, regarding the assaults, and after three weeks of investigation, Atkinson was arrested and charged. Warrants obtained by Jocoreport reveal that Atkinson had taken on a parental role at the location where a minor under 18 was living.
The warrants detail that Atkinson engaged in vaginal intercourse with the victim and, in another charge of first-degree sexual exploitation, allegedly encouraged the minor to participate in sexual activities, including performing oral sex on him as a “live performance”.
Group home employee videotaped alleged assault
Officials stated that they received permission from Atkinson to search his mobile device, where they discovered recorded proof of the purported assault. Atkinson’s phone was subsequently confiscated by investigators as part of the evidence.
The warrant additionally mentions that the victim is under the care of the Johnston County Department of Social Services. Officials verified that the Department of Social Services relocated the child from the residential facility following the incident report.
Atkinson is currently detained on a $200,000 secured bond.Â
