Former Durham police officer pleads guilty to sexually abusing young girls in his family – ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Brittany McBride walked into a Durham County courtroom Monday with her support system by her side, finally ready to seek justice decades after a family member, Frank Lee Urban III, sexually abused her.

“There will be no more sweeping anything under the rug for the sake of his name,” McBride told ABC11.

Urban served as a firefighter and eventually a police officer in Durham from 1968 to 1988. He pleaded guilty Monday to sexually abusing McBride when she was just 3 and 4 years old. He also pleaded guilty to sexually abusing another young girl in their family years later.

The hearing described the horrific abuse of the two girls at the hands of Urban, which both said left them deeply traumatized for life.

“That false image that he was portraying as a public servant or a good guy finally fell apart and the real monster was revealed,” McBride said.

McBride gave a tearful victim impact statement explaining everything Urban put her through. She said she didn’t know how she got through it, but was relieved she had the strength to speak in court.

“I really feel like this was my last chance for him to hear directly from me how I feel about him and what he’s done,” she said. “To know that the abuse in our family stops with me.”

Urban also got a chance to address the court and his victims after pleading guilty to the abuse.

“I am very remorseful and I almost attempted suicide,” Urban told the court on Monday when he was allowed to speak in court. He went on to talk about how his life has been affected since his victims came forward, saying he no longer wants to leave the house and that he won’t be celebrating Halloween this year. He remained emotionless as he delivered his brief remarks and did not directly apologize to any of the girls he admitted to abusing.

As part of the plea agreement, the court ordered Urban to apologize directly to his victims. He chose to write them a note. McBride’s note read: “Hi Brittany, I’m sorry. I will always love you. Dad”

Although he was technically sentenced to at least seven years in prison for his crimes, his sentence was suspended as part of his plea deal. That means he will spend two years on probation at his Durham home instead of behind bars. As a result of his plea and sentencing, the only potential chance he will have to serve prison time is if he violates the terms of his probation.

Urban is not allowed to have contact with his victims. He must register as a sex offender. He will not be allowed around unsupervised children.

Although McBride said she believes full justice would mean jail time, she said she is relieved he has finally been convicted and admitted what he did.

McBride hopes that coming forward all these years later will show others who have experienced abuse that it’s never too late to come forward.

“I hope it reaches them and they find that strength and courage within themselves as well,” McBride said.

The Durham District Attorney’s Office also released this statement about the case: “The Durham District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the brave survivors of this case. Based on their testimony, the state was able to hold Mr. Urban accountable today with multiple convictions for crimes decades after those crimes were committed. This outcome exemplifies the Durham District Attorney’s Office’s commitment to survivors, no matter how long ago an assault took place, and will hopefully bring some closure to those the defendant has harmed.”

If you are a victim of sexual assault or abuse, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7 for confidential support by dialing (800) 656-HOPE (4673). You can also click here to learn more about the resources available in North Carolina.