LA arrests NC employee charged with crime involving a child

A North Carolina government employee who has worked for the state for nearly thirty years is facing felony charges.

WRAL Investigates learned that 62-year-old Harlan Frye, a former human resources director at the North Carolina Department of Revenue, has not worked for the agency since June 10.

Frye was arrested on June 9 in Long Beach, California, on charges of “arranging an encounter with a child for lewd purposes.” The arrest was recorded on video and posted on YouTube.

According to Long Beach police, preliminary investigations indicate that Frye arranged a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes. The “minor” was a cyber vigilante who worked undercover but was not employed by a law enforcement agency, and he called police during the meeting.

The video shows a man who Frye at a Hyatt Hotel in California and ask him various questions.

In the video, the two go outside and the YouTuber asks Frye why he recruited a minor through an online app.

In the video, Frye can be heard saying: “I have “I’ve never done this with anyone so young… I’m trying to help children.”

Frye goes on to say that the person he was supposed to meet was a 15-year-old and that he may have wanted to engage him in sex. At the end of the video, Long Beach police arrive at the scene and handcuff Frye.

The man who posted the YouTube video is TikToker “Black Biden,” who is known for making videos of suspected child molesters in Long Beach.

According to online records, Frye was booked into the Los Angeles County Jail around 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, and released on Thursday, June 13.

According to the California Penal Code, it is a crime to arrange to meet with a minor under the age of 18 for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. If convicted, the person faces up to four years in prison and must register as a sex offender.

WRAL has reached out to Frye and the IRS for further comment and clarification on the matter, but neither party has responded.

In his professional biographies on the Internet, Frye claims to have coached youth basketball in both Raleigh and in the Los Angeles area.

Frye began working for the state in 1993 before being promoted to human resources director for the NC Department of Revenue.

The NC Department of Revenue confirmed that Frye was employed as a human resources director from April 4, 2022, to June 10, 2024.

Frye’s LinkedIn profile indicates he went to North Carolina A&T, where he previously served as the head basketball coach, according to the website. According to the university, Frye worked there until the 2013-14 season.

State records show that Frye earned about $143,000 in his position with the state.