The Warren County Grand Jury indicted a local man Friday who is accused of sexually assaulting an under-aged family friend.

Travis Dean Morrison, 36, was indicted for statutory rape by an authority figure during Friday’s grand jury session, after having his case bound over in January.

Morrison’s charges stem from his Dec. 5 arrest, which occurred after officers from the McMinnville Police Department were dispatched to an apartment where an alleged sexual assault had taken place. 

According to MPD Detective Chris McCormick, after advising Morrison of his Miranda rights at the scene, the defendant stated he knew he was accused of touching the alleged victim, who was 14 years old at the time.

Morrison told officers the alleged victim had asked him to “pop” her back, so he took her into his bedroom where she laid on the floor. Investigation the night of the incident reported the victim alleged Morrison walked her to his bedroom, and attempted to pull her pants off, then allegedly reached inside her pants and penetrated her. 

She further alleged he reached into her bra before being notified via a phone app her mother had arrived at the home.

The alleged victim in the case testified during Morrison’s preliminary hearing, recounting her version of the events of the night in question. During the hearing it was revealed her undergarments were collected that night and sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to be screened for potential DNA.

According to the grand jury docket from Friday, McCormick and the custodian of records for Nashville General Hospital testified prior to Morrison’s indictment.

Morrison is currently being held in the Warren County Jail under a $100,000 bond. Statutory rape by an authority figure is a violation of state law 39-13-532, which is a Class B felony. It is defined as, “unlawful sexual penetration of a victim by the defendant or of the defendant by the victim when the victim is at least 13 but less than eighteen 18 years of age; the defendant is at least four years older than the victim; and the defendant was, at the time of the offense, in a position of trust, or had supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim by virtue of the defendant’s legal, professional, or occupational status and used the position of trust or power to accomplish the sexual penetration.”

If convicted of a Class B felony, the second-most severe type of felony in Tennessee, defendants may face between eight and 30 years in prison.

Morrison will appear in Circuit Court Feb. 26 for arraignment. He is being represented by the Public Defender’s Office.