Bryson City – Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran was arrested Friday by members of the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and Cherokee Indian Police Department, then suspended from his duties.
A release issued by the office of District Attorney Ashley Welch on Friday said the 72-year-old Cochran was charged with felonious restraint, assault on a female, sexual battery and solicitation to commit prostitution. Additionally, Cochran was charged with three violations of the Cherokee code: two counts of oppression in office and one count of abusive sexual contact.
Welch filed a petition Friday to have Cochran immediately suspended from his duties as sheriff, and that a hearing to both remove him from office and permanently disqualify him from the office be held.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Tessa Sellers granted the suspension and scheduled a Monday hearing to review the decision, which will be held in Graham County. Sellers will then set a final determination regarding the petition to remove Cochran from office in Swain County Superior Court on Monday, July 21.
Swain County Chief Deputy Brian Kirkland assumed the role of sheriff after Cochran was suspended.
“Please feel secure that there will be no disruption in the services provided by the Swain County Sheriff’s Office as a result of this situation,” the Swain County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Friday evening. “The men and women of the Swain County Sheriff’s Office remain committed to serving and protecting the citizens and residents of Swain County. Since this involves a criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office is not in a position to make any further statements.”
First incident
Cochran first took office as Swain County sheriff in December 2006 and has successfully ran five re-election campaigns. His last victory came in 2022.
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Reports state that on June 22, an unnamed person filed a report with the Cherokee Indian Police Department claiming Cochran sexually assaulted her that afternoon on the Qualla Boundary. A criminal investigation was quickly launched by the department, SBI and FBI.
The victim said she and her boyfriend left home on foot June 22 following an argument at their residence. Both were walking along U.S. 19 between Adams Creek and Jenkins Grocery.
The victim spotted a Dodge Durango traveling on the roadway and – believing it to be a law enforcement vehicle – flagged the Durango down. The boyfriend verbally identified the driver as “Curtis;” Cochran is ID’d in the report as the driver.
Hoping the driver could help, she accepted a request to sit in the front seat. The victim was upset and crying, but believed the offer was an attempt to diffuse the situation.
Once the Durango departed, Cochran allegedly began touching her. Despite her objections, Cochran continued to touch the victim before asking her to perform oral sex on him.
Cochran also reportedly asked how much she charged for oral sex. The victim replied that she doesn’t know “because I don’t do that.”
The reports say Cochran continued to ask the victim for oral sex after the refusal before pulling over into a gravel area on the side of the road in Swain County. He allegedly got out of the vehicle, walked around to the passenger’s side, stood next to the vehicle in a manner that blocked her in and repeated his request for oral sex. Cochran also assured the victim that if she performed the sex act on him “all she will have to do is say his name if she got into trouble and he will help her.”
The victim said she was frightened and unsure if she was going to make it home.
Cochran expressed his disappointment that the victim would not perform oral sex on him, but got back in the vehicle and continued the return trip to her residence. Before turning onto Adams Creek Road, Cochran allegedly rubbed his groin area and, after reaching Adams Creek, began touching himself in a sexual manner.
Near the residence, Cochran asked the victim if “she was good at keeping secrets, because they are going to keep this a secret.” The victim did not respond and, moments later, exited the vehicle before running up a staircase to her bedroom. Surveillance video captured outside the home shows the vehicle pull up near the residence, before the victim quickly gets out, upset and not looking back.
Second incident
As officials gathered evidence on the June 22 incident, Cochran was pulled over by Cherokee Indian Police Department Assistant Chief Josh Taylor around 4:10 p.m. near the department.
Taylor said in a report that he had observed the same Durango driving “suspiciously” and in a manner he believed to be evasive. He pulled Cochran over in the driveway of the new Tsali Care Center.
When Taylor approached the Durango, he spotted a woman who had just been released from the custody of the Cherokee Indian Police Department jail. Taylor said the victim appeared to be upset, but said she was fine when questioned. Taylor let Cochran go, but continued to follow the Durango until it pulled into the Catamount Travel Center off U.S. 19. The victim was approached inside the store and appeared visibly upset.
When questioned by officers, she said was “scared of that sick, perverted old man.” The victim added that Cochran had touched her “all over” while the vehicle was traveling, and indicated that he “wanted her to do things that she did not want to do.”
The victim agreed to be interviewed at the Cherokee Indian Police Department the next day. Officials learned that shortly after her release from jail, Cochran approached in his vehicle and offered her a ride. She asked to be taken to the Catamount Travel Center; however, the victim said he turned the opposite direction, and then began touching her hand and arm.
Following Taylor’s traffic stop, Cochran turned around and headed for the travel center – but not before touching the victim’s left arm, left leg and left breast. The victim said in the report that she tried to get away from the sheriff, but he continued to “reach further to touch her.”
The victim also indicated that Cochran did not seem like he was going to stop at the Catamount Travel Center, and only did so at the second entrance after the victim said, “Whoa, whoa, wait, right here.”
When Cochran asked if she was sure she wanted to get out, the victim said her daughter was picking her up at the center.
“I want to commend the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their vigilance, professionalism and swift action in addressing this manner,” Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Michell Hicks said in a statement issued Sunday. “Our officers and prosecutors are utilizing every available tool to protect our community and pursue justice. We will continue working closely with our state and federal partners as this matter progresses.
“The reinvestment of our inherent sovereign jurisdiction via VAWA 2022 was exercised in charging every crime alleged. We will continue to use all sovereign authority and power to protect the due process rights of the EBCI and the people within its lands. The safety of our people is, and always will be, our highest priority.”