CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools employee, 22-year-old Shy’mere Simms, has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly violating a 13-year-old boy near his home last Friday morning.
The incident reportedly occurred around 7:30 a.m. when the boy went to meet Simms in his SUV. Simms allegedly contacted the student via Snapchat, informing him that he was in the neighborhood.
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The student then went outside to meet Simms, and Simms gave the student a handshake from his SUV. The student reported that Simms then pulled the student’s hand into Simms’ pants and on his genitals, according to an affidavit obtained by Channel 9.
Court documents also reveal that the victim asked ChatGPT for advice on how to disclose the assault to his mother, providing police with a screenshot from his phone that helped verify his story.
“You just never know. Even though the person may come off as a nice person, you still don’t know what their intentions are,” said a mother who works at a nearby business and has customers whose children attend Alexander Graham Middle School.
CMS said Simms had coached as a Behavior Management Technician “floater” at Alexander Graham Middle School, James Martin Middle School, J.M. Alexander Middle School, Walter G. Byers School, Southwest Middle School, and West Charlotte High School, along with serving as a football coach at Kennedy.
Channel 9 reached out to the district for more information after it alerted families about Simms’ arrest on Wednesday.
According to CMS, Simms was suspended with pay and “will no longer be working at any school in the district effective immediately pending the results of the investigation.”
Simms was arrested and charged with one felony count of indecent liberties with a student. He was held on a $20,000 bond due to his work around impressionable young boys but was released after posting bond. He is scheduled to appear in court in three weeks.
The Safe Alliance Hope Line is available 24 hours a day for victims of sexual assault, offering support and resources at 980-771-HOPE.
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