A Knox County grand jury returned indictments Friday against three people in connection with an incident in which a teen was kidnapped, locked in the back of a U-Haul truck and forced to have sex, while en route to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tiffany Marie Cheek, 29, Michael Scott Nason, 34, and Carl Bradley Hickman, 27, were indicted on multiple charges stemming from the April 20 incident.
Cheek faces charges of kidnapping, custodial interference and first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor.
Nason faces two counts of third-degree rape and one count of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor.
Hickman faces charges of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and second-degree persistent felony offender.
Knox County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted after the teen’s mother reported with the girls was in Cincinnati.
Deputy Harold Luttrell traveled to Cincinnati to retrieve the girl.
Through the course of interviews with the teen and Cincinnati Police, Luttrell determined that Cheek lured the girl from her residence.
“The above subject (Cheek) admitted to forging documents leading the juvenile to believe she was her guardian,” Luttrell wrote in the arrest citation.
According to the arrest citations, the juvenile was locked into the back of the U-Haul with Nason where they allegedly engaged in sexual activity during the trip.
In addition, she was allegedly provided with drugs, specifically Xanax and methamphetamine.
Cheek and Nason were arrested April 21 in Knox County.
Cincinnati Police arrested Hickman on drug-related charges.
Cheek and Nason each pleaded not guilty to the charges they are facing, and are scheduled to return to Knox Circuit Court on June 28 for a pretrial hearing.
Hickman failed to appear in court and a bench warrant has been issued.
(Editor’s note: The print version of this story mistakenly stated that Cheek and Nason pleaded guilty to the charges.)
