After an interview with the victim, a Portal man already jailed on rape charges was also charged with statutory rape, said Bulloch County Sheriff's Investigator Walter R. Deal. The victim also faces charges.
Brad Colby McCullough, 21, Grady Street, Portal, was charged with rape and child molestation after a Dec. 25 encounter with a 14-year-old girl. But after Deal investigated further, and questioned the teen, he charged McCullough with statutory rape.
According to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) 16-6-3, statutory rape is "to have sexual intercourse with someone under age 16," according to Internet Web site www.cga.ct.gov.
According to Internet Web site www.sexlaws.org, "in accordance with the (Federal Bureau of Investigation) FBI definition, statutory rape is characterized as non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is younger than the statutory age of consent. The actual ages for these laws vary greatly from state-to-state, as do the punishments for offenders."
The teen's father learned of the Christmas Day encounter and reported it Dec. 30, Deal said. The 14-year-old victim said the alleged rape occurred at a Cowboy Way, Portal location near Lake Collins.
Further investigation and questioning Monday resulted in the teen being charged as well, he said. She is charged with unruly juvenile, fornication, and making false statements. She was arrested and booked into the Bulloch County Jail, then released to her father, he said.
McCullough remains in the Bulloch County Jail without bond. Sheriff's investigators did not drop the rape charge, leaving that decision up the the Bulloch County grand jury, deputies said.
McCullough will go before the grand jury on all three charges - rape, statutory rape and child molestation, he said. The grand jury will make a decision on whether to indict McCullough on the charges.
If convicted on any of the three charges, McCullough will be labeled a convicted sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender laws in the state.
Brad Colby McCullough, 21, Grady Street, Portal, was charged with rape and child molestation after a Dec. 25 encounter with a 14-year-old girl. But after Deal investigated further, and questioned the teen, he charged McCullough with statutory rape.
According to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) 16-6-3, statutory rape is "to have sexual intercourse with someone under age 16," according to Internet Web site www.cga.ct.gov.
According to Internet Web site www.sexlaws.org, "in accordance with the (Federal Bureau of Investigation) FBI definition, statutory rape is characterized as non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is younger than the statutory age of consent. The actual ages for these laws vary greatly from state-to-state, as do the punishments for offenders."
The teen's father learned of the Christmas Day encounter and reported it Dec. 30, Deal said. The 14-year-old victim said the alleged rape occurred at a Cowboy Way, Portal location near Lake Collins.
Further investigation and questioning Monday resulted in the teen being charged as well, he said. She is charged with unruly juvenile, fornication, and making false statements. She was arrested and booked into the Bulloch County Jail, then released to her father, he said.
McCullough remains in the Bulloch County Jail without bond. Sheriff's investigators did not drop the rape charge, leaving that decision up the the Bulloch County grand jury, deputies said.
McCullough will go before the grand jury on all three charges - rape, statutory rape and child molestation, he said. The grand jury will make a decision on whether to indict McCullough on the charges.
If convicted on any of the three charges, McCullough will be labeled a convicted sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender laws in the state.