By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Additional charges have been filed against an 81-year-old Salisbury man already accused of numerous sexual offenses.
Aubrey Neal Grimes was charged Wednesday with nine additional counts of first-degree statutory sex offense and 18 counts of indecent liberties with a child.
Grimes was first arrested on Nov. 13, charged with a single count of first-degree statutory sex offense and a single count of indecent liberties with a child.
Rowan County Sheriff George Wilhelm said the latest charges come after Grimes confessed after his earlier arrest to having sexually assaulted other children. Wilhelm said more children also came forward to say Grimes had assaulted them.
“He confessed to the original charges and gave us some more names,” Wilhelm said.
He said such actions are not unheard of.
“Actually, sometimes, this type suspect has remorse for his actions and confesses it all to get it off his chest,” Wilhelm said.
He said the latest charges involve four boys. They were between the ages of 9 and 11 when the crimes were committed. The crimes are alleged to have taken place in the past two years, Wilhelm said.
He said all the assaults took place at Grimes’ residence at 1040 Ashford Circle. Wilhelm said the residence is in the Shady Circle Trailer Park.
He said Grimes apparently had little trouble luring young boys to his home.
“He was basically a nice old man,” Wilhelm said. “He was friends to the kids.”
Wilhelm said that if there’s any good news from Wednesday’s announcements, it’s that none of the charges stem from Grimes’ involvement with the East Rowan Little League. Grimes was a volunteer with the organization, serving as a scorekeeper and scoreboard operator.
But officials with the Little League said Grimes didn’t work directly with any of the organization’s children and didn’t have to undergo a background check required of all board members, coaches and umpires.
“It’s good to know he wasn’t out stalking kids on the ballfield,” Wilhelm said.
He said if others have been sexually abused by Grimes, they should contact the Sheriff’s Office. There is no statute of limitations on felony charges.
“If someone is a victim of this man, please report it,” Wilhelm said.
Following Grimes’ arrest in November, Wilhelm announced that a 65-year-old High Point man came forward with accusations that Grimes molested him 50 years ago.
Grimes used to live in Guilford County and was convicted there in 1987 of taking indecent liberties with a child.
Wilhelm said Wednesday that if charges are filed based on that 65-year-old’s allegations, they would have to come from Guilford County authorities.
He said he didn’t know if any such charges are forthcoming, saying he was told the 65-year-old came forward in hopes of preventing a child from having to testify against Grimes.
Grimes is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $1 million bond after the latest charges.
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Staff writer Shavonne Potts contributed to this story.