North Carolina Detective Was Fired Over Claims That He Hit on Sexual-Assault Victims

A North Carolina police detective was fired after being accused of sending inappropriate texts to women whose sexual-assault cases he had investigated, new documents show. Paul Matrafailo III was fired from the Fayetteville force in May, according to the newly released dismissal letter. In March, police received a complaint that accused Matrafailo of contacting a sexual-assault victim through Instagram and and said he “began a conversation with her that she felt was inappropriate.” Matrafailo was part of the team that investigated the victim’s 2016 case. In total, three women who had been sexually assaulted complained that Matrafailo had sent them inappropriate texts, with one woman saying he sent her messages about lingerie she was planning to buy. No criminal charges have been filed against Matrafailo, but an investigation is reportedly underway.