A 21-year-old man has been charged with rape in Murfreesboro. Elijah C. Hartman was charged with rape after a woman filed a complaint with police stating that she was in bed when Hartman came over and sat on the bed next to her. She said that Hartman asked to have sex with her and she told him no. The report details him trying to take her clothing off and the female kicking him in the chest.
The report was filed with MPD on Monday and the reported incident allegedly occurred on January 25th.
The report states, "He then became angry and pulled off her pants and underwear. She attempted to push him off..." Officers spoke with Hartman and wrote in their arrest file, "Mr. Hartman was interviewed on January 29, 2018 and gave several conflicting statements regarding what happened."
The report went on to show that Hartman at first denied having sex with the victim, but did say he sat on her bed. When he was told that a "rape kit" was performed on the woman he allegedly told police that they had consensual sex the night before.
Hartman was charged with one count of rape and transported to the local jail. His bond was set at $75,000. He will face the charge in court on March 13, 2018. As of Tuesday morning (1/30/18), Hartman was still in custody.
Source:
MPD Incident 18-1809
