SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (AP) — Police say a North Carolina man displaced from his home by Hurricane Florence is accused of raping a woman who let him stay in her home.
The Southern Pines Police Department said on its Facebook page that 37-year-old Freeman Scott Ireland is charged with second-degree forcible rape. Investigators say the woman was assaulted as she slept Monday, and Ireland was still inside the home with officers arrived.
According to police, Ireland was on supervised release from the state Department of Public Safety after serving time for second-degree murder and armed robbery. He was displaced from his Brunswick County home by hurricane damage and police said he was looking to relocate to Moore County.
Ireland is jailed on a $500,000 secured bond. It’s not known if he has an attorney.
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