Prosecutors charged a Franklin man after police say he inappropriately touched a minor multiple times over the course of two years.
James Wallace Lowe II, 27, is charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and two counts of strangulation, all felonies. If convicted, he faces up to 23 years in prison.
Franklin police first became aware of Lowe in June, when a victim reported what had happened to her. The victim had known Lowe for a few years, and told police he had touched her inappropriately, according to a probable cause affidavit filed this week in Johnson County Superior Court 3.
The victim told police Lowe began touching her in late 2019, when she was 12, and it happened every time she was alone with him. During an incident in 2020, Lowe stopped her from leaving a room, and made her touch him inappropriately, according to court documents.
During an incident earlier this year, Lowe touched the victim inappropriately again. Lowe and the victim went to a supermarket in Franklin where he tried to find a spot in the parking lot that was not surrounded by many cars. The victim told police Lowe touched her inappropriately and choked her, court documents show.
During another incident which occurred after the parking lot incident, Lowe grabbed the victim by her wrists and throat, pinned her against a wall, choked her and forcibly kissed her, according to court documents.
The victim told police Lowe told her not to tell anyone because no one would believe her and he would take her down with him, court documents show.
Police took a DNA sample from Lowe in July, according to court documents.
Lowe was arrested on a warrant Wednesday and taken to the Johnson County jail where he is held on $1,200 bond.
