Ex-WJHS Band Director faces sex charges

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/7294268/

Benson, N.C. — A former band director at West Johnston High School was charged late Tuesday with sexually exploiting a student while at the school, authorities said.
Mitchell Lance Britt, 38, was arrested in Bethlehem, Pa., where he recently moved. He was charged with five counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and four counts of sexual offense with a student.
Authorities said Britt had sex with a 17-year-old student and took explicit pictures of the student. The alleged activities occurred between October and December 2008, according to arrest warrants.
The Johnston County Sheriff's Office began looking into allegations against Britt last month, and Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the FBI is assisting in the case because investigators believe some of the alleged crimes occurred out of state.
Britt resigned from West Johnston High last November after seven years at the school.

 

WoW!

 

Yeah, I guess it was a little more than unpaid parking tickets :evil:

 

Guess we know now why he left? :?

 

Here's what I don't get . . . it's one thing to be stupid enough to have sex with a 17 yr. old BUT to be stupid enough to take pictures???? OMG, you deserve to be arrested just for being stupid.

 

Unbelievable!! Just goes to show that you never know about people. My daughter had Mr. Barringer in middle school and Mr. Britt in high school. So both her band teachers have now been arrested. :?

 

:iagree:

 

So, the Facebook stuff seems to correlate with the charges.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zp3LPRzuXo

 

I'm surprised it took this long. When he resigned I figured it was sex related.

 

What facebook stuff?

 

Here is the link to the thread on here about it:

http://www.4042.com/4042forums/showthread.php?t=28930&highlight=facebook

 

I agree...... I just don't know what to say, I wonder if are the charges are related between them?

They were both really great people and excellent music teachers/directors. I guess that just goes to show that you can never really know a person. What a shame, there goes anything 'good' they ever did. :banghead:

 

I don't know what to say........It doesn't say rape. Whcih means the 17yo was consensual. Regardless it was wrong. I will say back in the day. I had a few teachers I wanted to nail!

 

^^ Didn't we all...

 

band director

The article doesn't state that it was a female student, maybe a male student?????:?:

 

Does it really matter? Either way its wrong.

 

well confirmed 1270wmpm is reporting this:

Former West Johnston High School band director Mitchell Lance Britt was arrested Tuesday night in his hometown of Bethlehem, Pa on warrants charging him with sexually exploiting a 17 year-old male student between October and December 2008. Britt was detained without incident during a traffic stop and was placed in the Northampton County, PA Jail pending extradition to Johnston County.


wow, the level some people will go to.

 

Where is the throw up icon when you need it?:ack:

 

Here's the rest of the WMPM story:

Ex-Band Director Charged With Sexually Exploiting Male Student
Former West Johnston High School band director Mitchell Lance Britt was arrested Tuesday night in his hometown of Bethlehem, Pa on warrants charging him with sexually exploiting a 17 year-old male student between October and December 2008. Britt was detained without incident during a traffic stop and was placed in the Northampton County, PA Jail pending extradition to Johnston County.

Sheriff Steve Bizzell told WTSB that his officers along with the FBI began investigating Britt after a complaint was lodged against him on February 5, 2010. “The FBI was called to assist us at our request due to (Britt) having moved out of North Carolina and is currently a resident of Pennsylvania,” Sheriff Bizzell told WTSB. “And there is suspicions that activities occurred while the band was outside of Johnston County.” Sheriff Bizzell declined to comment on whether the 17 year-old student was a member of the school band, nor would he say if any of the alleged incidents occurred on school grounds or at Britt’s home in Johnston County.

Britt was charged Tuesday night with the first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and sex offense with a student, both felonies. Once he is returned to Johnston County, Sheriff Bizzell said the ex-band leader will be charged with 7 additional warrants, all involving similar charges. According to copies of arrest warrants obtained by WTSB, Britt is accused of “…sexual explicit nudity, uncovered human genitals and/or pubic area for the purpose of producing material containing a visual representation depicting this activity…” Britt, 38, was the first band director ever hired at West Johnston High School. Britt, an Alabama native, received his degree in Music Education from Mississippi State University. He resigned last November after being at West Johnston for 7 years. Sheriff Bizzell did not rule out additional charges as the investigation continues, and the “possibility other minors may have been involved in the case”.