Bail set at $5 million for Raleigh man accused of child sex offense with girl

A 43-year-old Raleigh man was being held on $5 million bail Friday after being charged with four counts each of statutory sex offense and taking indecent liberties with a 12-year-old girl over the summer and through October.

Police had arrested Daniel Lavon Burrus at his Melvid Court home on Wednesday evening.

A magistrate set his bail at $5 million that night, and it remained at that level after a first appearance in court on Thursday.

The charges filed by police accuse Burrus of engaging in statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult four times between June 1 and Nov. 1.

State criminal law uses the term “sexual act,” part of the charge, to cover a range of actions.

Burrus also was accused of four counts of taking indecent liberties with the same girl during the same period.

Police confirmed that the girl and Burrus knew each other before the time listed in the charges.

A bail of $5 million is unusual in Wake County. Suspects charged with sexual crimes frequently face bails of $1 million or $2 million.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Bail set at $5 million for Raleigh man accused of child sex offense with girl."