THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603290468
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
A Shawboro man and a Grandy woman have been arrested and charged with sex crimes for allegedly forcing two teenage girls to perform a sexual act.
William McKinley ``Trim'' Smithson, 68, of Route 2, Shawboro, was charged Wednesday with two counts of second-degree forcible sex offense and one count each of promoting prostitution of a minor and performing a crime against nature.
Smithson, who listed his occupation as retired, was released on $40,000 in secured bonds from the Currituck County Jail.
Also arrested Wednesday on the same charges was Glenda Marline Harley, 42, of Walnut Island in Grandy. She was still being held Thursday afternoon at the Albemarle District Jail in Elizabeth City.
Harley is accused of luring two teenagers to Smithson's home earlier this month and helping Smithson keep them there until they performed a sexual act, a spokeswoman for the Currituck County Sheriff's Department said Thursday.
The first alleged offense occurred March 13, when Harley took an 18-year-old woman to Smithson's house. The second charge, involving a 16-year-old girl, stems from a similar situation on March 21.
In both cases, Harley was either driving past or taking the girls somewhere else when she made up an excuse to stop at Smithson's house in rural Shawboro, said Susan Johnson of the county sheriff's department.
Once inside, Harley would lock the doors and the girl ``would not be allowed to leave the residence until an alleged sexual offense was performed for Mr. Smithson,'' Johnson said.
The nature of the offenses involved mostly fondling, Johnson said. Sexual intercourse was not performed, she added.
``Mr. Smithson, in turn, would pay Ms. Harley for bringing the ladies to his residence,'' Johnson said.
Police were notified of the alleged crimes by the 16-year-old victim.
Johnson said the case is still under investigation.
Smithson and Harley are scheduled for a first appearance in Currituck County's District Court on April 3.
KEYWORDS: ARREST SEX ASSAULT SEX CRIME by CNB