A woman associated with several dance studios around the state, including one in Raleigh, was arrested in Raleigh on allegations of indecent liberties with a juvenile.
A New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigation linked Elissa Susan Edwards to charges of wrongdoing with pupils at various North Carolina dancing studios. According to online documents, the dance instructor faces charges of indecent liberties with a juvenile and statutory rape.
Edwards was a dance instructor at CC & Co. Dance Complex in Raleigh. Following the arrest, the company alerted families that Edwards was no longer employed there.
“As a community, we have to talk about this issue and realize it really can happen anywhere,” Adrianne Simeone, The Mama Bear Effect, said.
WRAL News met with Simeone from The Mama Bear Effect, an organization that works to raise awareness and prevent child sexual assault.
“Us a parents, we have to have conversations with these instructors or camps,” Simeone went on. “What kind of safety protocols do you have?”
Several families resorted to social media to express their disbelief regarding the charges.
One post from a dance instructor received a lot of attention. She commented, “I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” and complimented the victims and families for being bold enough to file a criminal case.
Another parent stated that Edwards worked at her daughter’s studio in the Charlotte region and described the allegations as horrifying and tragic.
“It takes an incredible amount of courage to be that first person to speak out about this,” according to Simeone.
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Edwards, 41, was arrested in Raleigh on Thursday and transferred to the New Hanover County Detention Center without bond.
A CC & Co. spokeswoman gave WRAL News a statement on the subject.
CC & Co Dance Complex prioritizes the safety of its dancers and their families. That’s why we extensively vet all of our personnel, including criminal background checks.
We learned of our former employee, Elissa Edwards,’ arrest on Thursday. We have not been approached by law enforcement, but if we are, we will work fully with them.
Edwards is the second CC & Co. employee charged with child sex crimes this summer. Justin McKoy, 33, was charged with multiple counts of child sex assault in June by Wake County deputies. In that case, warrants revealed that McKoy did not know the youngsters through his job with the dance company.
CC & Co. Dance Complex shared an update on Facebook for parents regarding recent issues. They said:
“This afternoon, our attorney’s office contacted the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office to confirm that the charges against our former employee, Elissa Edwards, are unrelated to the CC & Dance Complex or Wake County.” If you did not receive the email given to parents this morning, please contact us.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with more information or who may have been a victim to come forward. Victims and witnesses can reach Detective Starnes at 910-798-4287.