VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) —A 37-year-old Valdosta man was arrested after police say he sexually assaulted a juvenile who was under the age of 16 and known to him.

According to the Valdosta Police Department, a school resource officer was notified Oct. 1 after the student disclosed the alleged assault to another student. A detective responded to the school and began an investigation with assistance from the Children’s Advocacy Center and The Haven.

Investigators determined the girl had been given a ride to school by Ervin Lamar McCullen. Police said McCullen pulled into a parking lot while driving the student to school and allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Arrest warrants were obtained for McCullen on Oct. 15.

He faces the following charges, and they are all considered felonies:

1. Aggravated child molestation
2. Child molestation
3. Sexual battery against a child under 16
4. Enticing a child for indecent purposes
5. First-degree cruelty to children

After the warrants were issued, officers used Flock automated license plate reader technology to locate McCullen’s vehicle. Officers found the vehicle in a driveway in the 800 block of Ponderosa Drive and took McCullen into custody under a carport at the residence.

McCullen was booked into the Lowndes County Jail on the active warrants.

“We are so thankful that the student the victim confided in immediately notified school authorities,” Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said. “This young victim was supposed to be taken to school by someone that she knew, trusted, and was comfortable with, and she should have felt safe. Instead, he took advantage of her and the situation.”

The investigation remains ongoing. The charges are allegations, and McCullen is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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