Attorney discusses ruling that allows sex crime suit against NHCS to move forward

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Supreme Court clearing the way for justice in cases involving child sex crimes. 

Last week the court unanimously ruled that the SAFE Child Act is constitutional. The ruling expands the statute of limitations for child sex crimes, allowing victims to now file suit until they’re 28 years old.  

That allows a lawsuit against the New Hanover County Board of Education and former Roland-Grise band teacher Peter Frank to move forward. 

Frank is already serving more than 50 years in prison for dozens of child sex crimes. He was sentenced in 2022. 

Joel Rhine—who represents the three anonymous plaintiffs in the suit—said the ruling is a game changer for victims, who often don’t seek legal action against their abusers until years later. 

“It takes a long time for people to come to grips with having been sexually abused. I mean the Frank victims were middle school girls,” Rhine said. 

The ruling also gives victims the ability file suit against their abuser and any institution that might have enabled the abuse. 

“That’s what we’re trying to do, is change behavior,” Rhine said. “We want policies and procedures in place, everybody trained to be able to find somebody that’s grooming, to be able to spot somebody that’s a pedophile.” 

With rare bipartisan support, Rhine hopes the ruling will lead to a further expansion of victim rights in the future. 

“This has come from both ends of the political spectrum,” he said. “So we are very very grateful that everybody has come together and unanimously decided that we are going to protect our children.” 

Rhine is also a part of another ongoing sexual assault lawsuit involving former New Hanover County Schools teacher Michael Kelly, but he said that lawsuit was already within the statute of limitations before the ruling.