LINCOLNTON, N.C. – A Taylorsville man has been charged with felony posting a private image to social media.

On October 24, 2022 Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies received a report from the victim that a private image of the individual had been posted to a public social media page. The victim in the case state that she had only shared this image with Richard Eric Speagle, 52, of Taylorsville and no one else would have had access to the image.

On November 3, 2022 Lincoln County Sheriff’s Detective K. Harrington interviewed Mr. Speagle at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and he admitted posting the image using fake social media accounts.

Speagle was charged with one felony count of 14-190.5A disclosure of a private image. He was taken before a Lincoln County magistrate and placed under a $5,000 unsecured bond. He had a first appearance hearing in Lincoln County District Court on November 4, 2022.