Ex-substitute teacher admits to sexual misconduct

A former substitute teacher admitted in Orange County Superior Court today to exposing himself to a 13-year-old he was supervising earlier this year.

Travis Lee Thompson, 40, was watching the girl who had been punished with in-school suspension at McDougle Middle School in Carrboro last February. When they were alone, Thompson made sexual conversation with the girl that made her uncomfortable, said Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Perez.

At one point, the girl noticed Thompson standing near a file cabinet exposed.

"She looked over at him, saw it, told him she should put it away and left," Perez told Superior Court Judge Michael Morgan.

Thompson received two years probation, a $200 fine, and must submit to a mental health assessment after pleading guilty to one count of indecent exposure to a minor. He also must register as a sex offender, Morgan said.

If he does not comply, Thompson could spend between six and eight months in prison.

Thompson told the judge that he deeply regretted what he did, which was a "serious lapse in judgment." He apologized to the victim and her family, as well as the school and court systems.

Following news of the arrest, Thompson went on to WTVD Channel 11 news and admitted to acting inappropriately. However, he said the girl had given him a lap dance, which the girl vehemently denies, Perez said.

"That is something very humiliating for her," she said, adding that it sounded like she had been contributing to the situation.

His lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Susan Seahorn, said Thompson is a graduate of N.C. State University with a computer science degree, but lost his job and other part-time jobs as a result of the charge.