A 20-year-old Ohio man is now locked up in Durham after authorities say he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child. Alexander Dalton Coleman, of Pickerington, Ohio, was booked into the Durham County jail on July 7 and is charged with statutory rape of a child by an adult and a first-degree statutory sex offense. He was being held without bail ahead of his first scheduled court appearance, and county booking logs note the jail intake was recorded Tuesday afternoon.
According to The News & Observer, the arrest warrant lists the alleged offense window as running from April 12, 2024, to April 12, 2025, and a grand jury returned an indictment on June 15. The paper reports that a Columbus-area Facebook page that posts mugshots indicated Coleman was arrested in Ohio on June 9, while local booking records show he was brought into the Durham jail on July 7. The News & Observer did not identify the victim.
Durham County's online inmate roster lists Coleman under docket number 26CR318555, with charges described as "STAT RAPE OF CHILD BY ADULT" and "FIRST DEGREE STATUTORY SEX OFF." The roster also notes he was confined on July 7 with no bond, according to the Durham County Sheriff's Office. That booking page includes contact information for the sheriff's office for anyone with questions.
Next steps in court
Per The News & Observer, Coleman was being held without bail ahead of a first appearance set for Wednesday morning. If the indictment remains in place, proceedings in Durham District Court will determine whether the case proceeds to a preliminary hearing, moves toward trial, or is resolved through a plea.
What the charges mean
North Carolina law outlines several statutory sexual offenses, and many cases involving children are treated as felonies that carry substantial prison time. The state's criminal code details these offenses and related sentencing rules, including statutes that specifically address statutory sexual offenses with children, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Durham County Sheriff's Office; the county roster linked above lists the official booking and contact details. This report will be updated as additional public records and court filings become available.
