Former Durham man charged with sexual assault of a minor, other related offenses

Police have accused a former Durham man of sexual assaulting a child in 2017 and say he may have had contact with other underage girls around that time.

John Emory Compton, 35, is charged with statutory sex offense with a child, indecent liberties with a child and distribution of tobacco to a minor, the Durham Police Department stated in a news release Monday.

Police were notified in February of this year of a juvenile being assaulted in 2017, the release stated.

Compton was arrested in Hertford by the Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office and was released from custody on a $100,000 bond, according to the release.

“Investigators believe that he lived in Durham from 2017 to 2020,” the release stated. “Investigators believe that he may have had contact with other juvenile females during this timeframe.”

Police ask that anyone with information on this case call Investigator R. Armstrong at 919-560-4440 ext. 29325 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200.

This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 3:26 PM.