Two Arrests Made in Child Sexual Assault Case

On April 3, 2026, officers with the Forest City Police Department notified deputies with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office of a possible sexual assault involving a 14-year-old juvenile female that reportedly occurred in Ellenboro.

Detectives with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office responded and initiated an investigation into the allegations. Following numerous interviews and the execution of multiple search warrants over the course of nearly a month, the case was presented to a Rutherford County Grand Jury on May 11, 2026.

The Grand Jury returned true bills of indictment against:

• Keith Wayne Self, 35, charging him with Indecent Liberties with a Child and Attempted Statutory Sexual Offense.

• James Carlton Selvey, 31, charging him with Abduction of Children, Exposing a Child to a Controlled Substance, and Statutory Rape of a Child Less Than 15 Years of Age.

Both individuals are currently being held in the Rutherford County Detention Center. Self is being held under a $466,000 secured bond, while Selvey is being held under a $745,000 secured bond.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Forest City Police Department for their assistance during this investigation.

(As a reminder, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty)