Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper — who now wants to be a United States Senator — released convicted child rapists from prison early under his infamous early release program. But sure, tell me more about how Democrats are the party that "protects children."
Let's start with the headliner. Roger Diaz-Castellano, Offender #1650580, is an illegal immigrant from Honduras who was convicted in 2020 on seven counts of indecent liberties with six juvenile girls under the age of 16. Seven counts. Six victims. All children. Sexual abuse reports against him dated back to 2010. He served one year in prison. One. The U.S. Department of Justice later indicted him for lying on his Application for Temporary Protected Status as part of Operation False Haven.
Cooper's North Carolina Department of Public Safety had one job — keep monsters like this behind bars. Instead, they promised that nobody "serving a sentence for a crime against a person" would qualify for early release. That was a lie.
Then there's Jimmie Speight, Offender #1224591. A repeat sex offender with prior convictions for indecent liberties with a child and failure to register as a sex offender. Cooper's program released him in November 2020 — nine months early. By April 2021, Speight was charged with second-degree murder, rape, and kidnapping. His victim was Edmond Moore Jr., 36 years old.
Nine months early. A man is dead because Roy Cooper's government couldn't be bothered to let a repeat child predator finish his sentence.
David Walker, Offender #0728702, was sentenced to 11 years for the rape and indecent liberties with a 5-year-old girl. A 3-year-old witnessed the abuse. He made it onto Cooper's early release list.
And then there's Calvin L. Fluitt Jr., Offender #1143823, who told investigators — and I wish I were making this up — "Little children arouse me." Fluitt had a 2011 peeping tom conviction, then in 2016 was convicted of indecent liberties with a child, abduction, and false imprisonment after he was caught kneeling beside a 4-year-old with his hands near the child's genitals. He also tried to lure a 5-year-old into his car with candy. Paroled in 2017. Convicted again in 2019 for being a registered sex offender on a child's premises. Convicted again in 2024 for sex offender registration violations. Released March 2026 with parole ending December 2026.
This man told law enforcement that children arouse him, and Roy Cooper's system put him back on the street. Twice.
The numbers across Cooper's entire early release program are staggering. Nearly 50 percent of the 4,234 inmates released reoffended. Eighteen were charged with murder. Not petty theft. Not parole violations. Murder.
Roy Cooper is now running for Senate. He wants a promotion. He wants North Carolina voters to hand him more power after he handed child rapists their freedom. He wants us to forget the names — Diaz-Castellano, Speight, Walker, Fluitt — and the children they destroyed.
We're not going to forget.