An Asheville man will spend a minimum of 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a statutory sex offense charge in Buncombe County Superior Court last week, the Buncombe County District Attorney said in a press release.
On July 27, 2018 Ricky Lee Harris, 38, of School Road in Asheville, plead guilty to statutory sexual offense with a minor.
Superior Court Judge Marvin P. Pope sentenced Harris to an active sentence of 10 to 17 years of imprisonment.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office initiated investigation in the case after receiving a report that Harris and an associate gave methamphetamine to a 14-year-old girl in May 2016 and sexually assaulted her.
Harris later confessed to engaging in oral sex with the victim.
Harris was charged with one felony count of statutory sex offense with a child less than 15 years old and one felony count of selling or delivering a controlled substance to a minor between the ages of 13 and 16.
The drug offense was dismissed upon entry of a guilty plea in the sexual offense charge.
Judge Pope ordered Harris to register as a sex offender for a term of 30 years.
