Raleigh man arrested on sex-offense charges involving preteen girl

Police on Wednesday arrested a 23-year-old man on charges of committing a sex offense with a child under 13 as far back as six years ago.

Stephen James Town of 6033 McDevon Drive in Raleigh was charged with first-degree sex offense with a child and two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child.

An arrest warrant said it happened between April 1, 2010, and Aug. 1, 2014. Charges like those against Towns usually cover a range of time based on information investigators can gather after a child comes forward about the events or someone reports them.

Police said Towns knew the victim, a girl, before the incidents cited in the warrant. They did not disclose the girl’s age then or now.

A magistrate set Towns’ bail at $750,000, and he was held for a Thursday court appearance.

The arrest warrant says nothing about which events police believe happened when. Towns was 17 at the start of the period police listed, and a person must be 18 to be charged with the sex-offense crime listed. He turned 18 later that year.

A person only needs to be 16 years old to be charged with taking indecent liberties.

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Raleigh man arrested on sex-offense charges involving preteen girl."