Tallahassee police charge local man with sexually battering 3-year-old child

A Tallahassee man was charged early Sunday morning with having sexual contact with a 3-year-old child.

Charles William Hickson, 53, is facing two charges: Sexual battery on a child under 12 by someone 18 or older, and kidnapping a child under 13 with intent to commit a sexual battery. As of Tuesday morning, he was being held at the Leon County Detention Facility without bail.

According to heavily redacted police reports, Tallahassee Police Department officers responded to an apartment in a residential area off North Monroe Street near Interstate 10 around 2:30 a.m. in response to a reported sexual assault. A caller said Hickson was with a 3-year-old child.

The mother of the child was on scene and told officers that the child was autistic and non-verbal.

She also said she knew Hickson, saying he was a member of the extended family.

Earlier in the day she had left her other children, including the victim, in Hickson's care at another address while she and her friends went on a "mom's night out." She said she didn't give permission for the kids to leave that address.

A 16-year-old child also at the second address called the mom to say Hickson had left with the 3-year-old. The child's mother drove to Hickson's apartment and found his car parked outside.

She went to his apartment, where she peeked in a window, seeing Hickson over the child. Both were naked.

Hickson's first appearance in court has not yet been set, according to dockets.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee police charge local man with sexually battering 3-year-old child