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Absher faces nine more charges of sex-offense involving minors

By Bill Moss, Published: August 16, 2025

The ongoing investigation into the founder and operator of a shelter for homeless teenagers has led to nine more charges of sexual offense involving a minor, jail records of the Henderson County sheriff's show.

Michael Lee Absher,  the former Henderson County School Board member who was charge on July 30 with two counts of statutory sexual offense against a child 15 or younger, is now charged with seven counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, the jail records show. Absher has remained in custody of the Henderson County Detention Center under a $300,000 bond since his arrest on July 31 on the first two charges. The new charges added bond amounts of $100,000, for the third-degree sexual exploitation charges, and $250,000, for the first-degree sexual exploitation charges, for a total of $650,000.

A graduate of East Henderson High School, Absher, 35, won support among elected leaders, businesses, grantors and donors for his efforts to help homeless teenagers — which he had been himself. He ultimately founded Only Hope WNC and opened a home for homeless teenagers on Upward Road. In arrest records and voting records, Absher's address is the same as that of the Only Hope WNC house.

During a first appearance in Henderson County District Court on Aug. 1, Assistant District Attorney Michael Van Buren asked Judge Gene Johnson to add a condition to any release order that would bar Absher from having contact with anyone under 18 years old should he be released from jail. Absher "runs a home for troubled and homeless youth and that seems to be part of the issue alleged by law enforcement," Van Buren told the judge. 

First-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is defined in state statutes as an offense when a person does any of the following:

• Uses, employs, induces, coerces, encourages or facilitates a minor to engage in or assist others to engage in sexual activity for a live performance or for the purpose of producing material that contains a visual representation depicting this activity.
• Permits a minor under his custody or control to engage in sexual activity for a live performance or for the purpose of producing material that contains a visual representation depicting this activity.
• Transports or finances the transportation of a minor through or across this state with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity for a live performance or for the purpose of producing material that contains a visual representation depicting this activity.
• Records, photographs, films, develops, or duplicates for sale or pecuniary gain material that contains a visual representation depicting a minor engaged in sexual activity.
• Creates for sale or pecuniary gain material created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaged in sexual activity.
• Creates for sale or pecuniary gain a child sex doll of an identifiable minor.

No other information was immediately available on the nine new charges.

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