Lincoln man charged with sexually assaulting 6-year-old

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A Lincoln man is accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl while she was at a babysitter’s house, according to an arrest affidavit.

Authorities arrested 43-year-old Justin Whitlock on Thursday following a months-long investigation into a 6-year-old girl who’d been sexually assaulted this summer. He’s charged with a single count of first-degree sexual assault of a child.

Lincoln Police were alerted to a sexual assault on Aug. 4 by staff at Bryan East’s emergency room. A woman brought her 6-year-old daughter to the hospital after discovering signs of abuse, and authorities scheduled an interview with the girl the next day.

The girl was interviewed at BraveBe, and a sexual assault nurse examiner collected evidence. The girl told police that Whitlock had assaulted her at a home in Lincoln, the affidavit shows. The girl had been left at the home with another woman while her mother worked, and Whitlock was in a relationship with the babysitter.

A forensic scientist who examined the girl’s clothing also found evidence of sexual abuse, police wrote. The affidavit also showed that the DNA discovered on the girl’s clothing had no match in the police system.

Investigators wouldn’t interview Whitlock for multiple weeks until Oct. 8 when he was invited to the police station to discuss the situation. Officers wrote that Whitlock was interviewed and then arrested the next day. Police think that he even wrote an apology letter for the girl.

Whitlock was arrested the next day, and he was arraigned on the charge on Friday. His bond was set at 10% of $1,000,000. He’s due back in court on Nov. 14.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2024 KOLN. All rights reserved.