A Jackson man is facing a sexual battery charge after police say he inappropriately touched a 6-year-old child he was babysitting, WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News reported Tuesday.
According to the report, Jackson police were called to a home on Aug. 5 after receiving a report of sexual battery. The child's father told officers that Cornelius Mays, 39, had touched the child's buttocks in a sexual manner.
Investigators later spoke with the child in interviews on Sept. 22 and Sept. 24. Police say the child told them Mays kissed and hugged the child before placing his hand on the child's backside while he was babysitting. The child then locked the bathroom door and called their father, according to the report.
Officers interviewed Mays on Oct. 15. Police say he gave three different accounts of what happened, first saying he had never touched the child and later saying he had only touched the child's hand.
The case moved forward this week. On Monday, Nov. 9, officers learned that a person with outstanding warrants was walking along East Chester Street in Jackson. Police confirmed that Mays had an active warrant for sexual battery and took him into custody.
During a search, officers said they found 0.66 grams of marijuana in a plastic wrapper in his pocket. In addition to the sexual battery charge, Mays was charged with simple possession or casual exchange.
The charges are accusations, and Mays is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. WBBJ's report did not list a court date.
Parents and caregivers who suspect a child has been abused can contact local law enforcement or the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. Raw 100.5 will follow the case as it moves through the Madison County courts and share updates as they become available.
Sources: WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News; Jackson Police Department