DICKINSON, NY — A 25-year-old man is facing felony statutory rape charges after allegedly traveling from Tennessee to engage in sex with a 15-year-old female he met on TikTok.
Members of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol responded to a report of sexual offenses involving a juvenile female at the Hillside Inn & Suites on Old Front Street on Sunday.
Deputies charged Samuel F. Harris, 25, of Tennessee, with two counts of rape in the third degree, class E felonies, and child endangerment, a class A misdemeanor.
The investigation showed that Harris had met the 15-year-old female on the social media platform TikTok and had exchanged messages over the past five months.
Harris then purchased a bus ticket from Tennessee to New York to meet with the juvenile.
On Saturday, Harris allegedly met with the juvenile, who was staying at the hotel, and engaged in sexual acts while her mother was out getting food.
Upon making contact with deputies, Harris allegedly stated, “I’m caught, ain’t I?”
Harris was arrested, charged and arraigned at Central Arraignment Part before being remanded to the Broome County Sheriff’s Correctional Facility.
An order of protection was filed on behalf of the victim.
