From Staff Reports

A 19-year-old Greene County man and his 15-year-old brother have been charged with sexually molesting a 2-year-old girl.

Joseph Herman Beckwith Jr., 19, and Jeremiah Randall Beckwith, 15, both of Leakesville, are charged with sexually assaulting the toddler sometime during the summer of 2016 when she was between 2-3 years old. Greene County Sheriff Stanley McLeod said the two were taken into custody on Tuesday. McLeod said the case was referred to his office by the Department of Human Services, which currently has custody of the child, who is now approximately four. New evidence in the case, McLeod said, led to the arrests.

Due to the nature of the case, Sheriff McLeod disclosed few details of the ongoing investigation. He did say, however, the victim was related to the suspects and that the alleged assaults went far beyond inappropriate touching. He added the suspects admitted the abuse to investigators.

“This case is one of the most disturbing sexual abuse cases I have encountered in my career in law enforcement,” McLeod said.

Joseph Herman Beckwith Jr., of 205 Dobbins Avenue, is charged with one count of statutory rape and two counts of child molestation. He is currently being held in the Greene County Jail on a $100,000 bond, which was set Wednesday during the Beckwiths’ initial appearance in Greene County Justice Court.

The younger Beckwith, who is reportedly a high school freshman, is being charged as an adult with two counts of statutory rape in the case. His bond was set at $25,000 and he is currently being held in a Jackson County facility that houses youth offenders charged with major felonies.

The charges against the two will be presented to the next Greene County Grand Jury for consideration. Both suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. It is unclear whether the two are represented by legal counsel. They did not have an attorney present with them during their bond hearings.