Resigned Monroe councilman asked 15-year-old to pose nude, ethics report finds
An independent investigation found former Monroe City Councilman Gary Anderson violated the city’s ethics code after concluding he asked a 15-year-old boy to pose nude and identifying two earlier incidents involving teenagers.
Read more Former NC State swimmer Jack Roney’s death highlights breath-holding dangers in pools
The findings, obtained by The Charlotte Observer through a public records request Tuesday, provide the fullest account yet of the allegations that prompted Monroe officials to investigate Anderson before he abruptly resigned July 31. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police previously found insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges over the May incident, and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office agreed. But the city’s investigation was separate and focused on whether Anderson’s conduct violated ethical standards for elected officials.
The investigator concluded there was “clear and convincing evidence” the May incident occurred and said accounts of two earlier encounters showed a pattern of similar conduct. Had Anderson remained on the council, investigator Mac McCarley wrote, he would have recommended council members consider formally censuring him.
Anderson has denied wrongdoing throughout the controversy. His attorney also disputed the allegations in a written response included in the report, citing questions about identification and credibility and noting that police did not file criminal charges. The Charlotte Observer reached out to Anderson on Wednesday for additional comments on the investigation’s findings.
The investigation centered on a May 23 encounter outside a south Charlotte barbershop. According to the report, a 15-year-old boy told investigators Anderson approached him after his haircut and said he wanted to use him as a model for a portrait.
The teenager told investigators Anderson said the drawing would take about an hour, could be done privately and would involve a nude body sketch. The report says Anderson offered him $300. After the teenager told Anderson he was a minor, Anderson walked away, investigators found. The teenager later told his mother, who contacted police.
McCarley wrote that the teenager’s account, his mother’s follow-up efforts and the identification of Anderson provided “compelling” evidence that the encounter occurred.
The investigator also cited two earlier incidents involving teenagers as part of the report’s credibility analysis: a 2016 encounter involving a request to pose nude and a separate 2021 incident at Central Academy of Technology and Arts, where Anderson was then a teacher.
The investigator said the similarities among the accounts strengthened their credibility. None of the three young men knew the others, the report said, making it “highly unlikely” that they had coordinated their stories. The investigator specifically noted similarities between the 2016 account and the May encounter involving requests to model nude.
Anderson’s attorney, Charles “Beau” Brooks III, submitted a written response to investigators disputing the allegations.
Read more These are the best hospitals in Charlotte, US News says. How safe are they?
Regarding the 2016 incident, Brooks said Anderson denied the encounter and argued there was no direct evidence linking him to it other than an account that a license plate had been traced to Anderson.
Brooks also said Union County Public Schools cleared Anderson of wrongdoing in the 2021 school incident and took no adverse action against him. For the May incident, the attorney pointed to the fact that CMPD investigated and no criminal charges were filed.
Brooks argued that the allegations raised questions about identification, credibility and hearsay.
McCarley nevertheless concluded the May encounter violated Monroe’s ethics code, which requires council members to behave respectfully, conduct themselves as though they are always on duty as elected officials and avoid conduct that reflects badly on their office.
The report emphasized investigators were not asked to determine whether Anderson committed a crime. Requesting that someone pose nude for a drawing is not itself a crime, McCarley wrote. The question was whether asking a minor to pose nude without parental knowledge or consent violated the city’s ethical standards.
McCarley concluded that it did.
Because Anderson is no longer a council member, the investigator recommended no further action. Mayor Robert Burns told the council Tuesday that Anderson is no longer subject to discipline by the city and said the investigative report would “speak for itself.”
Council members also discussed how Anderson’s now-vacant seat could be filled. City Attorney Richard Long said the council has authority to appoint someone to the seat but is not required to do so.
Although Monroe has since switched to partisan municipal elections, Anderson was elected under the city’s previous nonpartisan system. Long said any appointment to replace him would therefore also be made on a nonpartisan basis.
This story was originally published August 12, 2026 at 11:14 AM with the headline “Resigned Monroe councilman asked 15-year-old to pose nude, ethics report finds.”
Read more These are the best hospitals in Charlotte, US News says. How safe are they?
