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Cody Lee Jackson allegedly kidnapped, impregnated girl while on electronic monitoring in another kidnapping case

Saturday 17 October 2015 09:13 BST
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The 20-year-old Ohioan with blue eyes and the original Bieber haircut was mainly confined to his apartment, on electronic monitoring by law enforcement as he awaited sentencing for an alleged abduction. He spent that time apparently filling his Facebook page with "selfies" and, authorities said, telling a teenage girl online that he wanted to hang out.

Police said Cody Lee Jackson, from Norwood, Ohio, kidnapped, raped and impregnated the 14-year-old while he was under police watch for another abduction and kidnapping.

"We conducted our typical unscheduled and unannounced home visits," Hamilton County sheriff's spokesman Michael Robison told the Associated Press on Thursday. "He was required to report weekly to his assigned officer, which he did, and he complied with all other conditions" of his monitoring.

Jackson has been charged by state and federal authorities, according to recently released court documents. State prosecutors had charged Jackson with rape, kidnapping and interference with custody (for keeping the minor from her parents). Federal authorities have since charged him with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and production of child pornography.

He was arrested last week in Salt Lake City, Utah, and turned over to U.S. marshals, authorities said.

Jackson's previous attorney, Stephen Wenke, told The Washington Post he does not know whether he will be representing Jackson in the new case. Court records do not list another attorney for him.

In September 2014, Jackson was arrested and charged in Hamilton County, Ohio, when a girl and a woman called police, claiming Jackson had been holding them captive in a hotel, according to a criminal complaint. The two told police they had been traveling with Jackson when he became abusive and refused to let them leave.

He pleaded not guilty and posted bail. He was put on electronic monitoring detention and released.

Jackson's father rented him an apartment in Norwood, not far from Cincinnati. It was there, according to court documents, that Jackson allegedly found the 14-year-old through Facebook in February and told her he wanted to meet.

For weeks, Jackson would send taxis to pick her up from her home and bring her to his apartment.

"While at his apartment, Jackson engaged in sexual intercourse with her," according to court documents. "Jackson then arranged for a taxi to take her" home.

On Tuesdays, when Jackson's electronic monitoring was relaxed, he would allegedly pick her up himself and have sex with her, according to the documents.

Soon, authorities said, Jackson became controlling. According to the court documents, he destroyed the girl's cellphone and replaced it with a flip-phone. He changed her passwords on social media so he could access her accounts. He imposed rules for her to follow: She wasn't allowed to use the restroom, shower or eat without permission and she wasn't allowed to deny him sex. In addition, she had to bathe him.

At first, he "would punish her verbally for breaking any of the rules, but within a few days, he became physically abusive as well," according to court documents.

One Friday in March 2015, police said, the girl went to Jackson's apartment and wasn't allowed to leave. Authorities said he held her there for nearly five months.

When the girl eventually became pregnant and told him she didn't want to have sexual intercourse, he sometimes forced her, "while covering her mouth to mute her screaming," according to court documents.

It wasn't until July that things started to change.

Jackson decided to take a plea deal in the first abduction case. He pleaded guilty to interference of custody, and the other charges were dropped. Authorities removed Jackson from electronic monitoring and he skipped town, fleeing to South Carolina.

He stayed in contact with the girl by phone and on Facebook, allegedly threatening to kill her and her family unless she agreed to send him sexually explicit photos of herself, according to court documents. In return, Jackson sent similar photos of himself to her.

Jackson was scheduled to be sentenced in the first abduction case Aug. 24, but when he failed to show up, local authorities contacted the FBI.

He was arrested by DEA agents Oct. 8 at a Greyhound bus station in Salt Lake City.

"Cody initially lied to detectives regarding his name, date of birth and Social Security number," according to a probable cause statement. "While attempting to obtain additional information from Cody, he ran from detectives on foot. Detectives were able to place Cody into custody after a short foot pursuit and he was later identified."

Authorities said Friday that Jackson was in the custody of U.S. marshals. He was being transported back to Ohio, where he will face both the state and federal charges.

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