Carlton Junior Gilchrist, listed in a county school system directory as a manager-trainer in the central office child nutrition-food service department, was arrested Wednesday after surrendering to the sheriff’s office to face a charge of indecent liberties with a student.
Detective B.C. Griffin of the sheriff’s office filed two search warrants in the case, one for the Littleton residence of the 44-year-old Gilchrist and one for his school-issued iPhone, court records show.
Investigation into the case began on December 9 when the school resource officer reported Gilchrist and the male victim were having an inappropriate conversation using Facebook Messenger.
The search warrant application notes the conversation was of a sexual nature “and describes sex acts to be performed on each other.”
The victim was in class when he was using his school-assigned laptop. For reasons not noted in the search warrant application, the victim left the classroom with the laptop on, the screen open and Facebook Messenger open. “The laptop was left in a public space for anyone to see. The teacher saw Facebook open and notified the principal immediately.”
The principal came into the Northwest Halifax High School classroom, observed the conversation on it and photographed the computer screen.
In the residential search warrant application Griffin noted he was seeking computers, magnetic media, financial records, documents referring to computers and other items.
As a result of the search, several phones and accessories were seized as well as numerous pornographic DVDs with titles such as LA Thugs Volume 10, Italian for Beginners, Bros in the Holes and Dreamboy. An iPad was also seized.
Meanwhile, Griffin noted in the search warrant application for the phone he met with Gilchrist for an interview and Gilchrist “admitted to participating in conversation (with the victim).”
Gilchrist, according to the search warrant application, told Griffin, “The conversation was conducted on Facebook Messenger and he used his iPhone issued by Halifax County schools to access the Facebook Messenger program. Evidence of this crime is contained and stored on this iPhone.”
Gilchrist, who was ordered to stay off all county school property, has a February 22 court date.
The school system’s central office in Halifax was closed today.