Columbus father faces rape charge after 16-year-old daughter gives birth, police say

A Columbus man has been charged with rape after his 16-year-old daughter gave birth to a child from the alleged assault, a sex crimes detective testified in Recorder’s Court Friday.

The man, 47, pleaded not guilty to one count of felony rape and incest during a 9 a.m. hearing before Judge Julius Hunter. The man, who isn’t being identified to protect the identity of the victim, was ordered held without bond. Both charges were bound over to Muscogee Superior Court without bond.

Police detective Amanda Hogan of the Special Victims Unit said police received information in November 2017 that the suspect had been engaged in an inappropriate relationship with his daughter. An investigation revealed the suspect allegedly started assaulting his daughter in 2015 while the family lived in Phenix City.

The girl told authorities about the alledged sexual assault when she went on a ride along with a Russell County sheriff’s deputy.

The family later moved to Columbus. The girl delivered a child in February at Piedmont Columbus Regional midtown’s campus and it was immediately adopted by a family in Atlanta. A DNA test revealed the suspect is 99 percent the father of the child.

This story was originally published August 31, 2018 at 12:00 AM.