Sept. 14, 2026
A Henderson County jury has found Christopher Raymond Smith, age 46 of Pisgah Forest, guilty of 12 counts of statutory sex offense with a minor dating back to 2011.
Superior Court Judge William Stetzer presided over a week-long trial and on Sept. 11 sentenced Smith to a minimum of 60 years and a maximum 87 years in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections for his crimes.
If Smith is ever released from custody, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
A news release stated that evidence from Smith’s March 2024 arrest for two counts of statutory rape and a crime against nature charge, in addition to the criminal investigation presented at trial showed how Smith gained the trust of the underage victim’s parents through his employment and used that position to access the child.
Assistant District Attorneys Blake Sawyer and Michael Van Buren prosecuted the case. At the conclusion of the case, District Attorney R. Andrew Murray said, “No one is above the law, and time is no deterrent when it comes to protecting our children from those who prey upon them.”