Teen runaway located in Owensburg with Bloomfield man who is now charged with sexual misconduct
/A teen runaway from Ohio was located in Greene County last Friday, August 10, in the company of a 23-year-old Bloomfield man, in Owensburg. He was taken into custody on a warrant, and has since been charged with felony sexual misconduct with a minor.
Cody Wesley Major, 23, was initially arrested on a Writ of Attachment and booked in to the Greene County Jail by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy David Elmore. His bond was set at $400 cash only but he did not bond out.
Yesterday, on Wednesday, August 15, Greene County Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw filed a new criminal case against Major and Major appeared in Greene Circuit Court early today, Thursday, August 16, for his initial hearing.
Major has been charged with:
- Two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, both Level 4 felonies, and
- Possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
GCSD David Elmore is the investigating and arresting officer on this case and prepared the documents to establish probable cause and obtain search warrants.
A 15-year-old female was wanted in Ohio as a runaway, but she is believed to have met Major in the summer of 2017 in the Bloomfield Park.
Deputy Elmore said the sheriff’s department received information that Major had an outstanding warrant, that the teen was wanted in Ohio, and both could be located at another man’s residence in Owensburg. Both were found there and transported to the sheriff’s department. Major allegedly had items of paraphernalia in his possession when he was taken into custody.
When the teen was interviewed, she allegedly said she met Major at the Bloomfield Park in June of 2017 and exchanged phone numbers. According to Deputy Elmore, she said they later had a sexual encounter near the Viaduct and another at a woman’s trailer in Bloomfield. It appears the relationship has continued and the teen said she is pregnant and she believes Major is the father.
Deputy Elmore also interviewed family members of both Major and the teen and learned the relationship may have started when the teen was 14 years old.
This is an ongoing investigation. Deputy Elmore is reviewing social media posts and has requested search warrants for a DNA sample from Major as well as a cell phone that belonged to Major and the teen, reported to have photographic evidence of their activities.
During Major’s hearing in Greene Circuit Court with Judge Erik Allen presiding, Major requested a court-appointed attorney – Greene County Public Defender Alan Baughman was appointed, future court dates were scheduled, and bond was set for Major at $30,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed.