A North Carolina man has been accused of raping a 14-year-old girl over several days. He met her online and lived in the girl’s closet without her parents knowing.
Jarred Workman, 27, of Albemarle, has been charged with 16 counts of statutory rape, reports WSOC-TV. If he is convicted on all charges, he would face life in prison without parole. He appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday.
Police say that Workman and the young girl began an online relationship on April 27. That day, he moved into her closet and remained there until May 2, without her parents ever knowing. Det. Lt. Bill Hamby of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office told WCNC that she had sex with her several times during that stretch. Workman would wait for her after she came back from school to assault her.
When the girl’s mother finally opened her closet to put some things away, she saw Workman sitting in there. He then ran off. Police later found him hiding in the woods behind the girl’s house.
The teen told police Workman’s name and they also discovered his wallet and cell phone, which he had dropped when he tried to get away.
Iredell County resident Barbara O’Brien told WCNC that this is an example of why parents really need to monitor what their children do on social media. “People are really afraid to do that with their kids,” she said. “But this is an example of why people need to.”