A 23 year old Summerville resident has been taken into custody after failing to appear in Chattooga County Superior Court on charges of Statutory Rape and Child Molestation.

Justin Tyler Hawkins was arrested last year (2013), after allegedly picking up an underage girl at her home and taking her to another location where they engaged in sexual relations.

Initially Hawkins denied the charges; however, he later recanted and admitted that the girl had been with him after they communicated via Facebook.

He was originally arrested on the charge of Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer – and he was later charged with both Statutory Rape and Child Molestation – in connection with the incident.

After failure to appear in court on August 4th, a warrant was taken out for his arrest and he was placed under arrest and booked into the Chattooga County Jail on Monday of this week (September 8th).

He is currently being held without bond.

(AM1180 Chattooga County Radio)