A former member of the Bladen County Board of Education who nows lives in Columbus is facing charges of child sexual abuse in Columbus and Bladen counties.
Keith Edward Locklear, 35, of Canyon Road, Clarendon, turned himself in Thursday and was released on $20,000 secured bond, pending a court appearance today (June 16). He faces four charges of indecent liberties with a minor, two charges of sexual battery, and two counts of assault on a child under 12.
The charges came from a joint investigation by Columbus and Bladen county authorities, the sheriff’s office said. The case was opened after an alleged incident on Furnie Hinson Road.
A report with the Bladen sheriff’s office said that Locklear allegedly touched a girl “on her breast area,” and dragged a boy across a room by his hair. He also allegedly hit both children “in various places about their bodies” on other occasions, the report said.
Locklear was elected to the Bladen School Board in 2022. He resigned in 2024, amid controversy over his attendance. He lived at a White Lake address at the time. Locklear is an over-the-road truck driver, and said he tried to attend board meetings remotely but was prevented from doing so by the board.
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