Child Rape Arrest

A Mobile man is in jail accused of raping two young girls.

Investigators say Charles Lowery, 32, sexually abused an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old for more than a year before the case was reported to the Department of Human Resources.

Lowery's girlfriend, Vanessa Dearman, says police told her the rapes occured in the mobile home she shared with Lowery on Gunn Road, but she insists she didn't know it was happening.

"I don't understand why he done this," said Dearman, who says Lowery was a good "step-dad" to her three young sons.

Dearman says the victims are close friends of her family and occassionally spent the night at the home she shared with Lowery. "When they would come over they would sleep on my couch because I have my boys in one room and me and Charlie in the back room," said Dearman. "The girls said that it happened at night time whenever I was sleeping."

Pat Guyton, Director of Mobile County's Child Advocacy Center, says it is not uncommon for sexual abuse to go unreported. Guyton, who describes sexual predators as "crafty" says they often carefully select their victims. "They go through a grooming process, then they slowly gradually get the child into a sexual relationship," said Guyton. "They use threats, bribes, rewards or whatever to get the child not to tell."

Lowery is charged with rape, sodomy and sexual abuse. According to court records, Lowery does not have any previous criminal convictions in Alabama.