Asheville man gets up to 29 years for park sexual assault case

A 34-year-old Asheville man will serve up to 29 years in prison after pleading guilty in a Weaver Park sexual assault case that drew urgent attention to safety in North Asheville public spaces. The sentence also brings lifetime sex offender registration and lifetime satellite-based monitoring once he leaves state custody.

Cameron Lee McCullough entered guilty pleas on June 29, 2026, in Buncombe County Superior Court to first-degree statutory sex offense, a Class B1 felony, and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class H felony. Judge Alan Z. Thornburg imposed a mandatory active prison term of 240 to 348 months, the maximum sentence available for the offense, in a case prosecuted by the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office.

The assault happened on March 11, 2025, at Weaver Park in North Asheville. Asheville police said a 911 caller reported the attack around 4:55 p.m. after a man lured a child into a public restroom and sexually assaulted the child. Officers responded after bystanders reported the assault, underscoring how quickly a public park can become a site of danger when a person is able to isolate a child in a restroom or other hidden space.

McCullough was 33 when he was arrested and later released from jail after paying a $250,000 bond. Prosecutors said the victim’s family appeared in court and asked for the maximum sentence. The family expressed satisfaction with the judgment after the plea and sentencing.

The case falls under Buncombe County Prosecutorial District 40, where District Attorney Todd Williams’ office handles prosecutions. Williams has said his office’s mission is to protect public safety and victims’ rights in Buncombe County, a standard that now sits alongside the community’s expectations for safer parks, clearer reporting channels and faster intervention when children are at risk.

No additional details have been released out of respect for the minor victim’s privacy and to avoid further trauma. The sentence closes the court case, but the public safety questions raised by the assault in a neighborhood park remain part of the conversation in Asheville and across Buncombe County.