A 32-year-old Hickory man who once coached soccer at Jimmy C. Draughn High School is facing felony charges after authorities say he had sex with a student at the school. Herlinton Ramon Rugama-Blandon was arrested Monday and now faces charges that carry the possibility of decades on North Carolina's sex offender registry if he's convicted.
Court and arrest records identify the defendant as Rugama-Blandon, a resident of Hickory, according to The Paper. He was arrested Monday by the Hickory Police Department and booked into the Catawba County Detention Facility in Newton. As reported by WBTV, he now faces felony charges of committing a sex act with a student and taking indecent liberties with a student.
Court documents allege Rugama-Blandon engaged in sexual activity with the underage Draughn High School student on or around March 1, 2026, within Catawba County, per the same account. Hickory Police made the arrest. The alleged offense occurred in Burke County, where the student attended school, even though Rugama-Blandon lives in Hickory.
Bond Set at $250,000 With Strict Release Conditions
During a Tuesday hearing in Catawba County District Court, a judge set Rugama-Blandon's bond at $250,000 secured, the article notes. Release conditions bar him from coming within 300 feet of the student or setting foot on school grounds, and he's due back in court on October 20.
Coaching Tenure Ended in 2025, District Says
Burke County Public Schools spokeswoman Cheryl Shuffler confirmed that Rugama-Blandon served as a seasonal, temporary part-time soccer coach from August 16, 2023, through June 30, 2025, and that he did not leave district employment for disciplinary reasons. Per WBTV, the district said Rugama-Blandon simply finished out his seasonal employment and was not dismissed or fired.
The district told WBTV it takes all concerns involving student safety seriously and cooperates fully with law enforcement. Burke County Public Schools said its employees undergo background checks and training designed to safeguard students, and that it expects everyone associated with the district to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and conduct.
Why the Charges Still Apply After He Left the Job
Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-27.32 and § 14-202.4, engaging in a sex act or taking indecent liberties with a student is a felony for school personnel and coaches, and that classification applies even after employment ends, so long as the alleged victim remains a student, according to the Stowe Law Firm. Legal consent is not a valid defense under the statute, which is why Rugama-Blandon's departure from the coaching job less than a year before the alleged March 2026 incident does not shield him from prosecution.
A conviction for taking indecent liberties with a minor under § 14-202.1 carries at least 30 years of registration on North Carolina's Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry, according to the Patrick Roberts Law Blog. That requirement applies to the minor-offense statute, not specifically to the student offense under § 14-202.4.
Jimmy C. Draughn High School is located in Valdese and is part of Burke County Public Schools. The case is one of several involving youth sports coaches facing felony sexual misconduct allegations that Hoodline has tracked in recent months.
