Wake County teacher accused in decades-old child sex abuse case

Wake County sheriff’s deputies jailed Broughton Magnet High School teacher Steven Robert Kohls without bond after investigators said child sex abuse allegations against him stretched back nearly two decades.

Kohls, 57, of Dunn, was charged with eight counts of sexual activity by a custodian, three counts of sex offense in a parental role, and two counts of statutory sex offense of a child by an adult. Prosecutors and investigators said the alleged conduct began as far back as 2005, and WRAL and CBS 17 reported the case involves three victims and 13 total child sex-crime charges.

The first report came in on Saturday, May 2, 2026, and deputies arrested Kohls on Wednesday after consulting with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. CBS 17 reported that warrants say the alleged sexual acts involved three different victims in Wake County in January 2005. WRAL also reported prosecutors said Kohls admitted to at least one of the sex acts during an interview with police.

The case immediately touched one of Raleigh’s most recognizable public high schools. Kohls was listed as a Career and Technical Education teacher at Broughton Magnet High School, which is part of the Wake County Public School System. The principal sent families a letter saying the alleged conduct was not related to incidents on campus or involving current students. The school also said Kohls was suspended with pay.

The timing of the arrest is likely to sharpen questions from parents and former students about how the allegations stayed hidden for so long, who may have known, and when school officials were first made aware of any concerns. Wake County school systems are also operating under North Carolina’s mandatory reporting law, which requires school personnel to report suspected child abuse. That safeguard is intended to push concerns quickly to law enforcement and child protection authorities when warning signs surface.

The charges also carry specific legal meaning under North Carolina law. The statute covering sexual activity by a custodian applies to people in positions of custody or supervision, while the statutory sex offense charge applies when an adult 18 or older engages in a sexual act with a child under 13. At Kohls’ arraignment, he asked, “Will I get a copy of who the victims are when I get my attorney?” He remained in the Wake County Detention Center as the case moved forward.