Nationwide — Leetwain Darrell Tate, a 48-year-old African American man who identifies as a woman and uses the name “Ms. Sharon,” worked as a school bus driver in Charlotte until police arrested him on September 30 for allegedly sexually abusing several boys aged 14 to 15.
According to Queen City News, a parent reported the case on September 16 by calling police to Peachtree Road and Corvis Road. They accused Tate of assaulting their child, pulling officers straight to his nearby house. Officers went to Tate’s house nearby and found multiple teenage boys there, where Tate had engaged them in sex acts.
Tate worked as a bus driver for Sugar Creek Charter School until the investigation started. The school suspended him immediately and fired him on September 29. Police stated the rapes and abuse occurred only at Tate’s home, never on school grounds or during work hours.
Prosecutors charged Tate with two counts of statutory rape, one count of statutory sex offense, and six counts of indecent liberties with a minor. Police took him into custody on September 30 without resistance. The Crimes Against Children Unit continues the probe and expects more victims to report.
Tate appeared in court on October 1. A judge assigned him a public defender and ordered him not to contact victims or witnesses. His family claims he is innocent. The $1 million bond holds him in jail as the case moves forward.