Buncombe County -- June 29, 2026: A Buncombe County man has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a child in a public park restroom and possessing child sexual abuse material.
The Buncombe County District Attorney's Office announced that Cameron Lee McCullough was sentenced Monday, June 29, after pleading guilty to first-degree statutory sex offense and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
The charges stem from a March 11, 2025, incident at Weaver Park in Asheville. Authorities said McCullough lured a child into a park restroom and sexually assaulted the victim. During the subsequent investigation, law enforcement officers discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material, resulting in the additional exploitation charge.
According to prosecutors, the victim's family was consulted throughout the case and appeared in court during the sentencing hearing, requesting that the court impose the maximum allowable sentence.
Superior Court Judge Alan Z. Thornburg imposed the maximum active sentence under North Carolina law, ordering McCullough to serve 240 to 348 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, the equivalent of 20 to 29 years in prison.
In addition to the prison sentence, McCullough will be required to comply with lifetime sex offender registration requirements and lifetime satellite-based monitoring following his release from prison.
The guilty plea concludes the criminal case without the need for a trial.