Donna Craig Stewart
NEWTON, N.C. – Donna Craig Stewart, 48, of Newton, was convicted Monday of two counts of first degree rape of a child in Catawba County Superior Court in Newton.
Judge Richard Boner handed down a sentence of no less than 25 years and no more than 32 years in the North Carolina Division of Adult Correction according to the District Attorney’s office.
Stewart was arrested on Jan. 11. Her arrest stemmed from the rape of two 12-year-old boys, said Catawba County Sheriff Coy Reid. According to the indictments, Stewart engaged in intercourse with the boys on or about Dec. 1 2012.
Rick Younger from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and Kari Whisnant from the Catawba County Department of Social Services handled the investigation with assistance from the Child Advocacy and Protection Center of Catawba County, according to the DA’s office.
One of the victims was a neighbor of Stewart’s and the other was the son of an acquaintance, Reid said. Law enforcement was alerted after the mother of one of the boys read a Facebook conversation between the two boys and her son admitted to her the rape had happened.
Stewart was also ordered to lifetime registration with the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry and will be subject to satellite-based monitoring upon her release from prison.
