Jury Convicts Former Davie County Teacher Of Sexual Exploitation And Child Pornography Charges
Greensboro – A former Davie County middle school teacher has been found guilty of sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography, announced Ripley Rand, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
DOUGLAS LEE EBERSBACH, age 51, was charged in a three-count Indictment filed October 25, 2010. The investigation began after the mother of a 14-year old South Davie Middle School student reported to law enforcement that EBERSBACH used a key to enter her home on September 25, 2009. Investigators eventually found more than 500 images of child pornography on computers in North Carolina and Ohio belonging to EBERSBACH. The images included pictures of his former student and included nude photos of the victim.
After a three-day trial the jury returned a verdict of guilty as to all three counts of the Indictment. United States Attorney Rand applauded the work done by Assistant United States Attorney Anand Ramaswamy, who prosecuted the case, as well as the special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the officers from the Davie County Sheriff’s Office who handled the investigation.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina. The maximum punishment for Count One of the Indictment (sexual exploitation of children) is imprisonment for a term of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The maximum punishment for Count Two (transporting child pornography) is imprisonment for not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The maximum punishment for Count Three (possession o02f child pornography) is imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
