A former school board member and non profit director in Western North Carolina is facing nearly two dozen child sex crime charges.
Michael Lee Absher a former member of the Henderson County School Board and leader of a charity organization was charged with sexually assaulting children in July.
Now, he also faces charges of human trafficking. Absher served on the school board from 2016 through 2020 and was the Executive Director of a homeless youth shelter called Only Hope Western North Carolina.
Absher faces a total of 23 charges on charges including statutory rape, human trafficking of a child, indecent acts with a child and sexual exploitation of a minor.