Former UNC employee Charles Hitlin was arrested Monday night and charged with 47 additional counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
He was arrested by Chatham County police, placed on $250,000 secured bond and held overnight in the Chatham County jail. He is in the process of being released Tuesday afternoon.
Hitlin is scheduled for a first appearance Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Orange County courthouse, said Department of Public Safety spokesman Randy Young.
Hitlin, a former manager in the information technology department at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, was first arrested Nov. 8 after a search warrant for suspicious computer activity led to the discovery of a 9 mm loaded pistol in his on-campus office. He was again arrested Dec. 19 and charged with two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
A November search warrant stated that an individual or individuals, who gave the impression of being female, used Hitlin’s work computer to have discussions in a chat room involving sexual intercourse with minors as young as 12 years old between Oct. 24 and Nov. 5.
Young said Hitlin was arrested on warrants issued by the Department of Public Safety, who has been conducting an investigation into Hitlin’s activity. Young said the investigation is ongoing.
