CHARLOTTE — The co-owner of Sycamore Brewing was arrested early Thursday morning after allegedly breaking into a home and raping a girl under the age of 15.
Channel 9 found jail records showing that Justin Tawse Brigham was booked into custody on felony charges of statutory rape of a child, first-degree burglary, and indecent liberties with a child.
Before his arrest, Brigham, 44, was also listed as the co-owner of Sycamore Brewing, according to North Carolina business records. Sycamore Brewing is the largest brewery in Charlotte and one of the city’s most popular spots.
According to court documents, Brigham allegedly broke into a home in Stanfield and raped a 13-year-old girl on Wednesday.
The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened overnight, and the victims’ family members found Brigham in their daughter’s bedroom. Brigham was ultimately found completely undressed in a vehicle near the victim’s home.
Brigham and the victim talked for two weeks on a popular social media app, the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said Friday. The victim looked like a minor and confirmed the girl’s during those conversations.
Brigham is being held in the Stanly County Jail on a $10 million bond. If he’s released, he’s not allowed to be on social media, according to court records.
Just after 1 p.m., Chopper 9 SkyZoom spotted investigators going into Brigham’s home in south Charlotte. The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said investigators are looking at electric devices found there.
Brighams wife and the brewery are not involved in the investigation. Stanly County authorities asked to respect the victim and her family’s privacy.
Sycamore Brewing’s response
Sycamore Brewing posted a statement on Instagram just after 1 p.m. Thursday saying that Justin “is divesting all of his interest and will have no further involvement” with the company.
Sycamore Brewing is also owned by Justin’s wife, Sarah Taylor. She said in the Instagram statement that she’s taking full leadership of the company effective immediately.
Taylor wrote that she is “devastated by the charges against Justin and the pain this has inflicted on our family and others.”
Brigham was still listed as the managing member of Sycamore Brewing LLC, according to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s business records as of late Thursday afternoon.
Shock to the city
Our story on Brigham’s arrest got a lot of attention due to Sycamore’s popularity, and Channel 9’s Joe Bruno spoke with a child advocate who hopes this case will be an eye-opener for parents to talk to their children.
“We need to be talking about child safety. We need to be talking directly to our children to give them the tools also to keep themselves safe,” said Mary Kathryn Elkins with Pat’s Place.
Elkins hopes the investigation is extensive, and she said resources are available for child sex abuse survivors.
“We hope that the children who live through this will seek mental health treatment and support that can really be instrumental in their hope and healing for the future,” Elkins told Channel 9.
Since Brigham’s arrest, multiple bars have announced that they’ll no longer carry Sycamore products. Bargarita in NoDa and Hoppin’ in SouthEnd shared on social media that they’re not serving Sycamore beers anymore.
This is a developing story, and we’re working on getting additional details. Check back for updates.
(VIDEO: Former Huntersville teacher killed in prison while serving statutory rape sentence)
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