HERTFORD, N.C. (AP) - Six brothers are in a northeastern North Carolina jail after authorities said they molested a young girl for nearly a decade.
The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reports (https://bit.ly/1nKzSV6) the men were arrested last week on charges ranging from statutory rape to sexual assault and rape of the alleged victim, who is now 16.
Perquimans County Sheriff Eric Tilley said the alleged attacks occurred from the time the girl was 4 until she was about 14, Court records show the abuse occurred from January 2003 through December 2012.
The men were identified as Eric Jackson, 27, and five of his brothers - Jon, 25, Matthew, 23, Nathaniel, 21, Benjamin, 19, and Aaron, 18. Tilley confirmed one of the brothers came forward in December 2012 to confess the crime after speaking with a pastor, but he wouldn’t identify which one.
The brothers are in the Albemarle District Jail under secured bonds of up to $150,000. There was no information on whether they had attorneys.
The men’s parents also were charged with felony child abuse and released after posting a $15,000 secured bond. Tilley said they were charged because they were aware of the abuse and failed to take action.
When word spread of the police investigation, the family moved to Colorado, said Tilley, who added that the defendants agreed to return to North Carolina rather than await extradition.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, https://pilotonline.com
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