Durham man pleads guilty to sexually abusing friends’ children
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Nathan Gilgor, 36, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two children in Durham.
- He was sentenced to at least 10 years and a maximum of 19 years in prison.
- The victims were his friends’ children.
A Durham man will serve at least 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to sexually abusing two of his friends’ daughters.
Nathan Gilgor, 36, pleaded guilty to a forcible second-degree sex offense and two counts of taking indecent liberties with children. In exchange for his plea, four other charges against him were dismissed, court records show.
Gilgor was arrested Sept. 18, 2024, several weeks after a family friend’s 8-year-old reported the abuse to her parents, according to court documents.
The 8-year-old’s mother called another set of parents who were close with Gilgor, asking them to check with their 10-year-old daughter if she’d been similarly abused, according to a search warrant in the case. The 10-year-old then disclosed Gilgor had been abusing her since at least January 2021, Assistant District Attorney Sarah Al-Zoubi said.
The 10-year-old had not shared the abuse with her parents because Gilgor had threatened her, pointing out he knew where she lived and went to school, according to Al-Zoubi. The girl’s mother said Gilgor also manipulated the child by critiquing her body to damage her self-esteem.
“We will never get to know the woman she would’ve been without this trauma inflicted upon her,” the mother said in a victim impact statement Monday.
The News & Observer is not naming the victims or their parents to protect their privacy.
Matthew Cook, Gilgor’s public defender, said his client was physically and emotionally abused by his stepfather and emotionally abused by his mother, leading to PTSD. Gilgor has two children, including a son who was 10 weeks old at the time of his arrest, according to Cook.
Gilgor initially denied the allegations when speaking with police, a search warrant states.
Gilgor declined to speak in court Monday before, per his plea deal, Judge John Dunlow sentenced him to a minimum of 10 years and six months and a maximum of 19 years and three months in prison. Gilgor must also register as a sex offender for the next 30 years and is forbidden from contacting the victims or their parents.
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Durham man pleads guilty to sexually abusing friends’ children."
