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A convicted sex offender pretending to be shopping for a home Sunday afternoon sexually assaulted a Cary realtor, according to Lt. John Szymeczek with Cary police.
Police arrested the suspect hours later.
Police say Michael Sleeman, 33, the suspect, went to look at a model home at 712 Blue Thorn Drive at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
He is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
Police say the realtor showed him one model home Sunday. Then Sleeman asked to see a smaller one. That's where, according to police, Sleeman pulled a knife on the realtor, threatened her, and assaulted her.
He is charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree forcible sex offense. He is being held on $2 million bond.
Police say the suspect told the realtor details about his life that helped police track him down. During the attack, he also told the victim that he is a convicted sex offender, which led police to search the North Carolina sex offender registry.
When police arrived at the suspect's house at about 9 p.m., Sleeman admitted to the crime.
Sleeman's last known address is 5912 Hollard Farms Way in Raleigh, according to the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry. The registry also says Sleeman was convicted in September 2002 of second-degree sex offense in Chesapeake, Virginia.
"It's one in a million, really. It was really good police work," Lt. John Szymeczek said.
The Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors considers this is an isolated incident. But it has shaken realtors, said Teresa Clark, the association's president-elect.
"Of course we are all very saddened that. We're a pretty close-knit community and it hurts us all when one of us is harmed," she said.
Industry groups train realtors to avoid cases like this. But Clark emphasized that the most important rule is to trust your intuition.
"If something doesn't feel right, don't go there," she said.
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By Keith Richard Radford Jr on 09/24 01:38 PM
Getting to maters that mater is something we seem to be able to get down to humbly; I would like to share this with you. This from my life experience is a true connection to the ties of races through our own sex laws which have been built on misconceptions and myth. The Supreme Court just ruled on sex offender laws where some factions of our government think by some inert reasoning that sex offender should be quarantined like some virus steaming from draconian/Islamic law sex offenders should be executed. I have seen for myself, video taken in another country where a sex offender is placed on a pole much like the Catholics use to use a pyramid shaped object and have them sit on it and spin, the pole travels through the body looking for the throat but if not found its ok cause the sharpened end of the pole will come out somewhere. The heritage of the act is in its self a throwback to troglodyte’s who are so obsessed with sex they can find that the way to deal with the issue is as revolutionary, as war, and two wrongs don’t make a right but has in fact called up deep rooted issues of people who have had to put up with this kind of "hierarchy" of historic hysteria far to long. A word taken from hysterectomy, hysteria is tied to castration used to make animals less threatening right? Good old Monty Hall. Well no wonder it’s wrong, right? Anyway we are supposed to be the most advanced nation and we still have a death penalty when the rest of the world except for nations we are still warring with, {think!} While other nations went home our weapons dealers and torture lovers delighting in support for the death of people they don’t know or want to simply because they don’t know how to get money with out taking it from someone by force, is that supposed to includes mutilations? In my humble opinion that alone are terrorist activities as much as severed hands, ears, heads, or making a case with nothing more than an obsession justified by lies. The truth about the sex offender registry will come out soon enough. When it does, People will see how the use of the registry was created, and by exactly who and why and the devastation it has created and the worthlessness of the use of it. It’s origin in the Crow laws that brought disgrace to our nation allowing thieves and murderous societal bigots who have trashed any shot at making good of a program in its design to make money destroying our nation and its people. We can not play god and we can not survive using this behavior model because we are compounding the problem. It's a ruse designed by people who are getting rich off the castration/hysterectomy/health care/physic care of people through sex laws that have gone wild. What about the people who are being used by the Medicare programs that requires these mutilations for both men and woman after they take their means of support? Can't you see? You have created the model and it is worthless! Why don't you just indiscriminately kill people you don't know that’s statically the next sex offender because over 90% of all new offences are people not on the sex offender registry and the numbers are increasing not decreasing so as a behavior model the chumps put together is really screwed up and they were told before they tried it. So what is the use of such laws as the sex offender registry other than to terrorize people? With the murder of so many sex offenders and the continued disregard for life by the use of the registry it’s just a mater of time before the federal government will be held liable for the deaths through federal court. In a nation where a statement may have a double or triple meaning and our entire linage can be traced through mud, guts, and beer it’s nice once in a while to get the picture of what is meant instead of what some thinks someone may have implied. So it is from the trenches to the hill. Remember the game where someone says something in someone’s ear then passes it the same way to the next; the person advocating such destructive laws are the ones who need to be section 8 by simple brake down of the issue not sex offenders. Best regards
By Judy on 09/16 11:33 AM
As a Realtor, I no longer do open houses for this very reason. If a seller insists on having one, they must be present for the open house and stay with me at all times. Never, never in a vacant house!
By Trish on 09/09 10:23 PM
I have been in real estate for over 20 years. I would like to thank the detectives and the police for apprehending the felon. In some ways real estate agents and the police have something in common. A police officer never knows what may happen with a traffic stop, agents never know who is coming through the door during an open house. I think its time that companies, agents, and sellers stop open houses. Agents this is our lives, please stand up and say no to open houses, we are perfect targets for thieves and felons.
By Pat on 09/09 07:52 PM
Many times charges are dropped bc they don't believe the woman or child in an assault and they never get charged. Thatt is sad bc every victim deserves to see them tried.
By Pat on 09/09 07:33 PM
I agree with u Pam but think our wishes are a little late. They are now talking about letting 120 convicts out of prison, some that have life sentences. What is our justice system thinking? Do they want us all to tote guns and overwork officers and then every time an officer get rough they want to lock him up..
By Pam on 09/09 04:02 PM
As a Realtor, I believe that we need to stop having Open Houses! The only thing that generally comes from an Open House is to collect buyers for other homes. If we are that hard up, we need to get into another profession. I applaud the police force for their quick arrest of this individual, but he is only one of a big amount of these people on the streets. Most sex offenders have incorrect info in their files and do not keep the police up-to-date on where they have moved. With all the taxes being paid on our properties, it's time to have a Special Force set up to keep track of these individuals. After all, look at our Parole Dept. We are wasting money on things that do not make a difference in our lives or deaths.
By Doug on 09/09 03:53 PM
Yes, just one more incidence of a repeat sex offender assault. Unfortunately, this country has become more worried about the rights of the criminals than the rest of us. As a result, these predators are free to strike again and again. Sadly, many times the victim is not given the chance to identify the animal that assaulted her.
By Pat on 09/08 09:57 PM
I agree with both of ur previous comments on realtors and all women carrying protection.It would be a great idea. I didn't want to not shed light on the fact this woman was very courageous even after such a terribly traumatic assault and still managed to aid police in arresting him so fast. I also wanted to express how it is so important for our justice system to do a better job than they do to keep these offenders off of the street. If he had been in jail where he belonged this would not have happened in this case. We have to get strictor on sex offenders, especially after more than one offense as he had. Cindy and Tracey, maybe u 2 can help save someone or yourselves from this happening to u. I know of one other realtor in NC this has happened to. She wasn't quite as lucky as this lady, but did survive.
By Cindy on 09/08 07:50 PM
I am a realtor and also co-owner of Self Defense Products Florida. I always carry pepper spray and a mini stun gun with me when I show homes, and I always try to have another realtor with me, although that is not always possible. I have not had to use the pepper spray or stun gun YET, but I will if needed. Please fellow realtors - carry some protection! Cindy (and Terri) www.SelfDefenseProductsFlorida.com
By Pat on 09/08 02:53 AM
If we keep letting criminals go free to roam the streets like this one did, we could use up a lot of pepper spray fast by real estate agents and all others that need to carry it. Pepper spray sales could fix NC'S budget...yep, keep letting them go free NC...we might have an answer here. Hahaha (Having been an agent, I have insight on how to do the job safely and realistically.)That is funny! Sounds to me like this lady that got attacked was pretty realistic to me if she got away and got help as fast as she did. True, she may not have had ur pepper spray but she had to go up against a knife and survived. SAFEFLY, well I know we can't get all criminals off of the streets bc they are being reproduced everyday but we do have some control by not letting the ones out that have already been caught and convicted.
By "Tracey, the Safety Lady" on 09/08 12:34 AM
The sad part is that September is Real Estate Agent Safety Month. What a wake-up call. I train real estate agents for a living on how to work safely. Having been an agent, I have insight on how to do the job safely and realistically. I hope to get a chance to come to town and help these agents work safely and have peace of mind while doing so. I also want to put some effective safety products in their hands and the skills to use them properly (noteably- pepper spray). safetyandsecuritysource.com
By AutumneBennett on 09/07 08:48 PM
Glad that they caught him quickly. I am a Realtor in a neighborhood just down the street from where this happened. Could have easily been me to meet up with this character. With times the way they are, we are all eager for business, but we can't let our guard down. If something doesn't feel right, leave as quickly as possible. I would rather be embarassed and lose a sale than anything else more important.
By Pat on 09/07 08:16 PM
Thankfull things turned out as well as they did here. He was caught and she got away. I know it has been a very bad experience for her and hope she will be able to heal as much as possible from it. Everyone needs to be careful bc he was a repeat offender, left on the streets like many others to jump on his prey at anytime. Wonder why he got 2 cases dropped, his victims are still suffering I'm sure.
By Greenbaum on 09/07 06:34 PM
It astonishes me when some idiot criticizes the police because they were able to apprehend a suspect with good police work. Where the information comes from is here nor there as any information is important when it is received very early on in an investigation. I invite you mrbill to crawl back under that rock because I think you have had too much sun light.
By Realtor on 09/07 06:07 PM
My husband waits for me when I'm showing a house. No way will I make myself vulnerable. Agents should always ask to see some form of identification before meeting clients alone. I hope they lock this guy up with people who don't like offenders.
By Be Safe!! on 09/07 04:59 PM
Every day real estate agents lives are in jeopardy. The industry MUST take a stand to help insure the safety of their associates. For a woman to be on site at a community with no visible security measures is unthinkable. Builders MUST make take this opportunity to make their workplaces a safer place for their employees and make sure this never happens again. Add security cameras, require appointments, require photo id's.... DO something to make these neighborhood models a safer place. I'm sure there is not an agent in the Triangle reading this who has not felt fear at some point with the uncertainty of who is walking in the door. As the system is now, it is simply too easy for a crime to be committed. Thank GOD that she escaped with her life. let's all hope that she will get the counseling she needs to help put this behind her. Let's also hope that homebuilders like DR Horton take a stand to protect their agents...though I think that is unlikely. Sorry, this hit close to home
By Lillian on 09/07 03:34 PM
A big "THANK YOU!" to all the detectives and officers who worked to apprehend this felon so quickly. As a Realtor for the past 20 years, I can tell you first hand just how frightening the possibility of falling into this scenario is. Even though we try to be wary and safety conscious, we never know who might walk through the door of the open house we are working.
By mrbill on 09/07 02:35 PM
good police work, what a joke.you cops had nothing to do with it.it all landed in your lap.
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