YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Editor's note: This story discusses alleged sex crimes committed against minors. Reader discretion is advised.
WCNC Charlotte has chosen to use this mugshot because of the nature of the alleged crimes.
Erickson Douglas Lee will spend the next nine years behind bars after he entered a guilty plea Friday on charges he committed child sex crimes while serving as a youth volunteer with a Fort Mill church. The sentencing comes more than a year after he turned himself into deputies with the York County Sheriff's Office and resigned from his job as a police officer in North Carolina.
Lee, now 26 years old, was in court a day after a bench warrant was issued for him for failing to appear. On Thursday, he was set to enter his plea, but that didn't happen until Friday.
York County court records show the former Cornelius Police Department officer entered a guilty plea to all counts against him, which included contributing to the delinquency of a minor, disseminating obscene material to a person under 18 years old, assault and battery, and both 2nd-degree and 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
The Rock Hill Herald notes Erickson was originally set to plead guilty and receive an eight-year sentence, but that him missing court Thursday ensured another year was added on to his sentence. The Herald also notes Erickson entered an Alford plea, which means he accepts the sentence and admits that testimony or evidence tends to prove a crime was committed but does not admit to the criminal acts he is accused of. However, an Alford plea is still recorded as a guilty plea in South Carolina.
Warrants reviewed by WCNC Charlotte claimed Erickson encouraged minors to get drunk at his former home in Fort Mill when he was volunteering with Morningstar Ministries. He also reportedly played pornographic videos for the minors.
MorningStar said at the time Lee had not been involved with the church for several months by the time he was arrested and that church leaders immediately reported him to authorities once they learned about the incident.
Lee turned himself in back in May 2023. He resigned from Cornelius Police after less than two years with the department.
Upon his release from prison, South Carolina law will require Lee to register as a sex offender.
Court records also show that at least one victim is suing Erickson and Morningstar in civil court. The anonymous claimant, who said the victims were all teenage boys at the time, said Morningstar didn't make a report to law enforcement immediately but instead worked to cover up what happened.
The civil suit claims Lee, the son of the church's head of security, was allowed to host events and spend time with youth as part of Morningstar's "Young Special Forces" (YSF) program, intended to develop life skills during different outings. Lee reportedly provided the boys with vapes, alcohol, and pornography regularly. During one outing to Camp Lejeune, one of the claimants said Lee got physically inappropriate with the boys and that one was found naked and passed out in Lee's cabin bed by other youth on the trip. Lee also reportedly forced the boys on the trip to get naked in front of him and shower together.
Further, the suit also claims Lee sexually assaulted a boy after Lee provided alcohol, and that at least one instance happened on Morningstar property during a YSF overnight event. One boy claimed Lee grabbed the boy's left hand to use for his own sexual gratification while lying in bed in 2022, was at one point hit with a stun gun, and was handcuffed on at least another occasion.
It wasn't until January 2023 that a parent of one of the minors found sexually explicit text messages sent from Lee on the minor's phone and confronted a member of church leadership, per the civil suit. Lee was reportedly asked to step down from his role quietly.
However, the suit goes on to claim that after church leaders interviewed the boys and contacted law enforcement, Lee left threatening notes on two of their cars.
Rick Joyner, the founder of Morningstar, responded to the developments surrounding Lee in a statement shared with church members. That statement was shared on X by Altar of Inquiry, an account created by journalist Stephen C. Deere that tracks reports of misconduct within churches. Joyner denies claims that Morningstar tried to cover up Lee's actions and that it "accuses the ministry of some very outrageous things that are not true".
Joyner's statement also comes on the heels of church leader Chris Reed abruptly resigning earlier in the week; the Christian Post reports Reed left his role because of the claims of sexual abuse, among other things. However, the Post notes Reed admitted to church watchdog outlet The Roys Report he sexually pursued a younger woman in the ministry in 2021 while in his role as senior pastor.
Note: WCNC instituted a policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.
WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use
If you or a loved one is facing domestic violence, help is readily available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Resources for help are available in both North Carolina and South Carolina.