Adult charged with raping child, breaking into Stanfield home
Published 2:39 pm Wednesday, December 17, 2025
STANFIELD — A Charlotte man has been charged with burglary and sexual offenses involving a 13-year-old girl following an incident at a Stanfield home on Dec. 10.
According to the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Justin Tawse Brigham — a co-owner of Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte — is accused of entering a residence along Furr Road on Dec. 10 before committing the assault inside the home.
Following an investigation by responding patrol deputies and members of the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigation Division, Brigham was charged with statutory rape of a child under 15, first-degree burglary and indecent liberties with a child.
“These are very serious crimes and he could go to prison for a long time,” Stanly County Sheriff Jeff Crisco said at a press conference on Dec. 12.
Investigators said Brigham had been communicating online with the victim via a “common social media platform” for approximately two weeks before the incident occurred, noting that he was aware of the victim’s age.
Brigham appeared in Stanly County District Court on Dec. 11, where his secure bond was set at $10 million. He is being held in the Stanly County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 29.
If released on bail, Brigham will be required to surrender his passport, remain in North Carolina, avoid contact with the victim and refrain from using social media.
Deputies responded to the Furr Road residence shortly before midnight after receiving a 911 call reporting that a resident had discovered Brigham inside the house. When officers arrived, they located a nude male in a nearby vehicle and detained him without incident.
“This incident occurred on Dec. 10 in the evening hours, where deputies responded to a residence where an adult male was found inside of a home in a juvenile’s room,” Crisco said. “Later, deputies found the gentleman away from the home as he was taken into custody for questioning and was later charged.”
As part of the ongoing investigation, sheriff’s deputies, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, executed a search warrant at an address in south Charlotte on Dec. 11.
Authorities have seized multiple electronic devices belonging to the suspect as part of the ongoing investigation, and additional charges are anticipated as evidence is reviewed.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains active and that further details will be released as they become available.
“If there are any other victims, we definitely encourage them to come forward,” Crisco said.
Anyone with information related to the case, or anyone who may be a victim of sexual assault, is asked to contact the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division at 704-986-3714 or [email protected].