AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — Two former North Carolina sheriff’s deputies have been indicted after authorities accused them of encouraging a teenage girl to use a stun gun on herself last year.
The News Herald of Morganton reports Joshua Marshall of Morganton and Luis Alberto Sanchez of Vilas were indicted last month by an Avery County grand jury on misdemeanor charges of contributing to the abuse of a juvenile and willfully failing to discharge their duties.
Both were reportedly relieved of their duties on July 28, according to the Avery County Clerk of Court's Office.
According to the indictments, Marshall and Sanchez encouraged a 17-year-old girl to use a stun gun belonging to the sheriff’s office on herself on July 23, 2021. The girl was a member of the Avery County Sheriff Office's Police Explorer Program and reported the incident to an adult, according to the office.
The Avery County Sheriff’s Office asked the SBI investigate the case in July.
Newly sworn-in Avery County Sheriff Danny Phillips issued a statement about the ongoing investigation over the weekend on social media.
“This incident happened before I took over being Sheriff, I believe it is being handled properly, but as I have said before, this kind of behavior will not be tolerated by an Avery County Deputy. I will be happy to answer any questions I can, please feel free to reach out to my office anytime,” Phillips said in the news release.
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According to the North Carolina Judicial Branch website, both Marshall and Sanchez have a court date in Avery County set for Wednesday, Feb. 9.
WCNC Charlotte has also reached out to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for more information.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.