Columbus man snuck into girl’s bedroom for sex, detective says. She was 14. He was over 30.

A Columbus man who disguised himself as a 17-year-old boy in order to have sex with a 14-year-old girl made his first appearance in Recorder’s Court on Friday.

Columbus police began investigating 35-year-old Jermaine Alexander on Dec. 18, 2017, after police were called to a residence in the city, Detective Mark Scruggs testified. Upon arrival, they talked to the mother of a 14-year-old girl, the victim, who said that her younger daughter, 12, saw a man in the victim’s room.

The mother attempted to get into the victim’s room, but couldn’t do so due to something blocking the door. She was able to open it enough to see the victim and Alexander on the bed naked, Scruggs said.

By the time the mother returned with her husband and got the door open, Alexander had put on shorts and escaped through the victim’s bedroom window. Scruggs testified that the victim had met Alexander through Instagram, where she knew him by only his first name.

According to Scruggs, the victim believed that Alexander was 17. When the victim’s father arrived at the residence and was shown a picture of Alexander, he told police that they previously went to school together and that he was in his 30s.

On Dec. 21, 2017, Scruggs went to the Children’s Tree House in Columbus to be present for a forensic interview with the victim.

“The first time (Alexander) came over to the residence was on or about Dec. 12, 2017,” Scruggs said. “He snuck into the bedroom and they began talking, which led to them having sexual intercourse.”

According to Scruggs, during the first incident, the two performed oral sex on one another and during intercourse, the victim felt pain. During the second incident, intercourse occurred but according to police, there is no disclosure of oral sex.

During both incidents, Alexander did not wear a condom during sex, Scruggs said.

After the victim picked Alexander out of a lineup, Scruggs issued charges of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child through the use of an electronic device and communicating with a minor with the purpose of sexual gratification.

Scruggs also issued the following charges: one count of aggravated child molestation, one count of child molestation, two counts of statutory rape, two counts of sodomy and two counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes.

Members of the Columbus Police Department Special Victims Unit spent months searching for Alexander and later requested help from the U.S. Marshall Office around Aug. 8, 2018, Scruggs said.

Alexander was finally captured on Dec. 9 of this year thanks to an anonymous tip to CPD. For nearly 16 months, Alexander had been working for a company in Pine Mountain, Georgia.

He was arrested Dec. 10 and taken into custody without incident at his place of employment, but was almost apprehended on June 12, 2018.

Alexander’s car had been spotted by Officer Brittney Siter in a local park and attempted to make contact with Alexander. The vehicle fled from her, which led to a foot chase, but Siter was unable to catch him before he could flee.

Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Muscogee Superior Court after finding probable cause.