Loxley Man Charged With Child Rape Under Further Investigation
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said that a 31-year-old Loxley man arrested last week for sexually assaulting children will soon face more state and possible federal charges.
Daniel Hartman is currently in jail after being arrested on several charges including rape, sodomy and sexual abuse.
Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Command Captain Daniel Steelman says the investigation into Hartman began back in April after a victim came forward to an adult.
Hartman is believed to have raped and sexually abused at least five children, and there may be others who law enforcement is not aware of.
The five victims include some over the age of 12 and some under the age of 12.
Captain Daniel Steelman said that “subsequent to that investigation, we conducted interviews, located witnesses and additional victims started coming forward,” he said.
Steelman says the victims knew Hartman, although he wouldn’t specify how.
“Adults tend to have a course of behavior to where they groom or set, engage in conduct with children,” he said. “They don’t just start off usually by engaging in sexual relationships with a child. They tend to get them comfortable, earn their trust and then violate that trust.”
Federal law enforcement is also investigating Hartman after learning that he crossed state lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a child which would make those charges
“We actually have personnel at the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office assigned to these federal task forces,” Steelman said. “And they’re also looking into that component to where and when he did cross state line to engage in inappropriate sexual behavior with a minor.”
“We’re confident that we’ll be able to put prosecute him on all of our victims that we have,” he said. “If anybody’s out there, or knows of anybody that could be a victim, we would ask that they report it to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.”
We also expect that he’ll face more charges soon, said Steelman.
Hartman is being held on a $135,000 bond.
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