Luther Grandy Hooper III of Avon (Photo courtesy Dare County Sheriff’s Office)
By Corinne Saunders
AVON — The Dare County Sheriff’s Office last week arrested Luther Grandy Hooper III of the 40100 block of C C Gray Road in Avon on multiple charges of alleged sexual crimes against a child spanning over four years.
Hooper, 68, at the time of his arrest was already listed on the state’s sex offender registry, which is maintained by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Officers responded to a Feb. 13 call for service, and “upon investigation, probable cause was determined that a crime had occurred and led to the issuance of warrants for arrest,” a Monday Dare County Sheriff’s Office press release said.
Hooper was arrested the afternoon of Feb. 20 on four counts of sexual battery and one count of indecent exposure where the defendant was over 18 and the victim was younger than 16, according to information on the Dare County Sheriff’s Office app.
Chief Deputy Jeff Deringer said in a brief Tuesday morning phone interview that Hooper allegedly committed these crimes against one child.
“Right now, there is one victim,” Deringer said.
He confirmed that Hooper at present remains incarcerated at the Dare County Sheriff's Office Detention Center in Manteo in lieu of a $400,000 bond.
The state’s online eCourts database lists six charges, all filed on Feb. 20, as currently pending for Hooper.
Hooper faces charges of four counts of sexual battery, with offense dates listed as July 1, 2024; August 1, 2024; and two on Jan. 1, 2025, according to online court records. Hooper also faces one count of indecent liberties with a minor, with the offense date of Dec. 1, 2020; and one count of indecent exposure in public, with the offense date of Jan. 1, 2025.
Hooper was already on the state’s sex offender registry for a prior conviction, Deringer said.
“That conviction…is what required him to be on the sex offender registry in North Carolina,” Deringer said.
Hooper pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2016, to at least one prior felony “indecent liberties with a child” charge, online court records show.
He was charged with two felony counts of “indecent liberties with a child,” both filed on April 25, 2013. The offense dates were July 2, 2012, and Jan. 1, 2013, and the disposition for both took place simultaneously, court records show.
Hooper was incarcerated from Feb. 2, 2016, through Dec. 24, 2016, for those Class F felony charges, according to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records. He was then on parole until Dec. 23, 2021.
The Dare County Sheriff's Office in its Monday press release encouraged anyone with information about criminal activities to contact local law enforcement.
“For tips or information, please reach out to the Dare County Sheriff's Office at 252-475-5980 or the Dare County Communications Center at 252-473-3444,” the release said.
Deringer said he also encourages members of the public to download the Dare County Sheriff’s Office app, which contains current inmate information, an interactive registered sex offender map and more.
“If you want to stay informed about those things…the public has one place to go and see it,” he said.
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