A former Eastern Carolina military policeman will spend at least the next 14 and a half years behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple sex offenses involving underage girls.

Beaufort County District Attorney Seth Edwards says on Monday, Leslie Craig Nobles, 23, of Chocowinity, was sentenced to a minimum of 14 and a half years up to 22 and a half years for the sex offenses.

When Nobles was 18, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation on Nobles. They found that he had engaged in sexual activity with seven girls between the ages of 13 and 15, according to Edwards.

In the summer of 2016, deputies say Nobles had sent explicit photos of himself to one of the victims, who was just 14 years old.

Edwards says Nobles has been in the Beaufort County Jail since his last arrest and will serve his sentence within the North Carolina Division of Adult Correction.

Nobles will have to register as a sex offender, and has been ordered to receive treatment for sex offenders while in prison.

Nobles was a member of the North Carolina Army National Guard's 514th MP Company, which is based in Winterville.

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An Eastern Carolina military policeman is accused in the statutory rape of more than nine victims, and deputies believe more victims will be discovered.

Beaufort County deputies arrested Leslie Nobles, 23, of Chocowinity, on Thursday for eight counts of statutory rape of victims under the age of 15, and three counts of statutory sex offense of victims under the age of 15.

Sheriff Ernie Coleman says they began investigating Nobles in late June when they got a tip that the man had given a graphic photo of himself to a girl under 15 years old. During the investigation, deputies also reopened a 2012 case involving Nobles and a 14 year old.

More than 23 interviews of victims, witnesses and Nobles were conducted, according to Coleman.

Deputies say they found the youngest victim was 13 years old and that in additional to possible more victims in Beaufort County, Nobles could be facing charges in another Eastern Carolina county.

The man is a member of the North Carolina Army National Guard's 514th MP Company, which is based in Winterville.

He's being held on a $300,000 secured bond.

Anyone with information on possible more victims in this case is urged to contact deputies at 252-946-7111 or Crime Stoppers at 252-974-6400.