A North Carolina man is behind bars on allegations of child sexual assault, according to Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer.
Palmer said 23-year-old Jordan Alex Michelsen is charged with statutory rape of a child by an adult, first-degree kidnapping, and taking indecent liberties with a child. Michelsen is being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center in Murphy, North Carolina, on a $250,000 secure bond. He faces a Dec. 2 appearance in Superior Court, Palmer said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Authorities began the investigation in September 2018 involving incidents that allegedly happened in August 2018, Palmer said. Cherokee County Schools, the county Department of Social Services and HAVEN Child Advocacy Center assisted during the investigation, he said.
Michelsen was living in Andrews, North Carolina, and had a previous home in the Culberson Community, but after indictments were issued "apparently fled from Cherokee County to Cornelia, Georgia," according to Palmer. Michelsen eventually surrendered at the Cherokee County jail.
"Great team work by all," Palmer said in the release. "These crimes are difficult on everyone concerned and often take time to bring to conclusion."