AHOSKIE – An Ahoskie man is in the Hertford County Jail under a $100,000 cash bond for an alleged incident involving a juvenile female.

Ahoskie Police Chief Troy Fitzhugh reported the Monday morning arrest of Phillip Cypress, 45, of 128 North Maple Street. Cypress stands charged with kidnapping and a statutory sexual offense of a child that is 13, 14 or 15 years of age.

Chief Fitzhugh said his office was alerted to the alleged crime at 6:37 p.m. on Sunday where the mother of the victim contacted the Ahoskie Police Department by telephone.

“The mother reported that her daughter had been taken against her will and assaulted by three men,” Chief Fitzhugh said. “All I can say at this time in response to the three alleged suspects is that only one, Mr. Cypress, was identified by the victim as her attacker.”

Fitzhugh said he is not ruling out that others were involved in the crime. He said further investigation is ongoing.

In her statement to APD Lt. G.B. Lassiter, the juvenile advised she was walking home from a friend’s house and was in the vicinity of Catherine and First Street at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. There, she was abducted from behind, blindfolded and taken down the railroad track.

The juvenile also reported the use of a weapon during the incident.

“Through the investigation we later learned that the victim was taken to a residence at 128 North Maple Street where the alleged sexual assault took place,” Chief Fitzhugh said.

At some point following the alleged assault, the victim was able to remove the blindfold and, upon seeing no one in the room, was able to flee the residence.

“She returned to her home where she informed someone of the incident, which prompted the girl’s mother to call the Ahoskie Police,” Fitzhugh concluded.