Raleigh teacher now facing 19 charges linked to child sexual assault allegations

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A Wake County teacher is facing the rest of his life in prison, accused of sexually assaulting three children more than 20 years ago.

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What began as 13 charges against Steven Kohls on Wednesday has increased to 19 charges as of Friday afternoon.

Kohls, 57, was employed as a teacher at Broughton Magnet High School at the time of his arrest, though school officials emphasized the alleged assaults date back to 2005 and are “not related to incidents that occurred on our campus or with our current students.”

The new charges filed on Friday are six counts of statutory sex offense of a child by an adult, for which he was already facing two charges of the same charges, officials said. The remaining 11 charges were eight counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of child sex offense.

While initial arrest warrants Wednesday described the date of the alleged offenses as January 2005, court documents show his latest charges span nine years, from January 2005 to January 2014.

In addition to his local school connection, Kohls was also a member of Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, but is now banned for life, the organization told CBS 17 on Friday.

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“We are aware of the arrest of Steven Kohls,” the Occoneechee Council of Scouting America, which serves the Raleigh area, said in a statement. “His membership in Scouting has been revoked and he has been permanently prohibited from any participation in Scouting programs.”

On Thursday, Kohls made his first appearance in Wake County court, where prosecutors said he confessed in a recorded interview to performing a sexual act on a boy.

“This sexual abuse involves multiple victims over multiple years and the very worst of human depravity,” a Wake County assistant district attorney said in court.

During the hearing, Kohls attempted to apologize, but was cut off by the judge.

“I’m sorry about all of this,” Kohls said before the judge interrupted him.

“Don’t say anything, sir,” the judge said. “Anything you say will be used against you by the District Attorney’s Office — don’t say anything about the facts of the case.”

Due to the new charges brought against him, Kohls is expected in a Wake County courtroom again on Monday afternoon.

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