WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. , A Clemmons woman who reported an alleged sexual assault at Tanglewood Park in June has been charged after a lengthy investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office concluded the report was false.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that 26-year-old Kaitlyn Mackenzie Bryant has been charged with one count of common law felony obstructing justice and one misdemeanor count of filing a false police report under North Carolina General Statute 14-225(a).
Bryant was arrested and appeared before a judicial official, who issued a $50,000 unsecured bond. She is scheduled to appear in Forsyth County District Court on Aug. 20 in Courtroom 308.
The charges stem from Bryant’s June 30 report claiming she was sexually assaulted while jogging on a trail at Tanglewood Park. The allegation prompted a large-scale investigation involving local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and generated widespread public concern as investigators searched for a suspect.
During a press conference Friday, Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said investigators devoted more than 1,100 personnel hours to the case. The sheriff’s office estimated the combined cost of labor and DNA analysis at $46,209.
According to investigators, detectives examined physical evidence, reviewed surveillance footage, analyzed digital evidence, conducted numerous interviews and submitted evidence for forensic testing throughout the investigation.
In July, the sheriff’s office announced that cellphone location data and other digital evidence showed the alleged assault did not occur at Tanglewood Park. Officials also withdrew a previously released suspect sketch after determining the information no longer matched the evidence collected during the investigation.
Following the completion of the investigation, authorities obtained warrants charging Bryant with obstructing justice and filing a false police report.
Sheriff Kimbrough said false reports consume significant law enforcement resources, divert investigators from legitimate cases and create unnecessary fear within the community.
