HAMLET — A man is facing criminal charges for allegedly having sexual relations with a teenager.
According to Maj. Hudson Chitwood of the Hamlet Police Department, officers received a referral regarding allegations of sexual assault by 27-year-old Joseph Stephon Harrington involving a 13-year-old female.
(Note: Court records show his middle name spelled as “Stephon,” while jail records show it as “Stephone.”)
Court records indicate the alleged incidents occurred in 2021.
Chitwood said an investigation by detectives found probable cause, leading to warrants for Harrington’s arrest on two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory rape of a child by an adult.
Harrington was taken into custody on Monday, Oct. 16 and booked into the Richmond County Jail, where is being held on a combined $500,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 2.
According to court records, Harrington is scheduled to appear in Richmond County Superior Court on Oct. 23 on one count each of statuatory rape of a child and taking indecent liberties with a child.
Those records indicate the alleged crimes took place in 2016 and Harrington was charged by the Hamlet Police Department in 2021.
Online court records show Harrington also has pending charges of assault on a female and communicating threats from earlier this year. He also has several pending traffic infractions, including driving while impaired, from 2022.
Harrington appears to have no prior convictions, according to records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
NOTE: This story has been edited to remove a note about records not being available online. 5:21 p.m. 10-17-23
