A 19-year-old Charlotte man is facing kidnapping and sexual-assault charges after police say a girl was attacked inside a northeast Charlotte apartment over the weekend. The alleged assault ended with the girl and a witness barricading themselves in a room while someone called police.
According to WBTV, the incident happened around 2 p.m. Sunday at an apartment complex off Barton Creek Drive. Police identified the suspect as Kayden Browne and said the girl was known to him, meaning investigators do not believe the attack was random.
An affidavit says Browne and the girl had argued before he allegedly struck her, grabbed her arm and dug his nails into her. Police said he then picked her up, slammed her to the ground and tried to sexually assault her, while a witness intervened and pulled him away.
The girl reportedly suffered injuries to her face, legs, hands, foot, arms and upper thigh, including blackened eyes and dark or reddish bruising. Police said Browne allegedly held her back when she went to answer the door for officers and stomped on her foot.
WBTV reported that Browne gave investigators several inconsistent accounts, denied attacking the girl and said she and the witness had attacked him. He faces charges of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree forcible rape, second-degree sex offense, assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of violence.
What The Charges Mean Under North Carolina Law
North Carolina law treats kidnapping as first degree when the person allegedly kidnapped was seriously injured or sexually assaulted, a charge classified as a Class C felony under state statute. First-degree forcible rape is classified as a Class B1 felony, while second-degree forcible sexual offense is a Class C felony.
The charges remain allegations, and Browne has denied the accusations described by police. The case will proceed through the Mecklenburg County court system, where prosecutors will have to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
