Kim Zolciak is publicly defending her 15 year old son after his arrest on charges of aggravated sodomy and aggravated sexual battery, according to multiple news reports. Court paperwork and police records cited in USA TODAY and other outlets say the alleged incident occurred in a gym changing area.
Sources report the alleged victim told officers she and the teen entered a coed sauna area through a family locker room at a Life Time gym. The criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY quotes the girl saying she repeatedly refused advances, that the teen forced sexual contact and that she left the locker room and later reported the incident to family.
Police records cited by USA TODAY say surveillance footage showed the pair entering the family changing room and that the teen later left the area alone after about thirty minutes. The reports also note the teen did not scan into the gym that day, though footage placed him inside the facility.
The suspect was taken into custody and remains in juvenile detention without bond, according to coverage by Us and other outlets. Media reporting places the arrest in Alpharetta and references custody at a regional youth detention center, while other sources note the juvenile court handled booking and hearings.
Responses, Evidence Claims And Legal Steps
Kim Zolciak issued statements to Page Six and other outlets saying her son denies the allegations and urging that allegations be investigated based on facts. Zolciak called the claims reckless and troubling and asked the public not to condemn anyone solely on accusation, as reported by Us and E! News.
The teen's lawyer Jason Sheffield has publicly described his client as innocent and told reporters the arrest was a tragedy. Sheffield said his client voluntarily took and passed a polygraph exam and that an officer's report, as referenced by Sheffield in USA TODAY and Us, noted no male DNA was found in the sexual assault kit.
Coverage from outlets including Daily Mail and Page Six also records that the alleged victim had a hospital examination and that testing returned no evidence of male DNA in the areas tested. Sheffield has said he attempted to present evidence to the arresting officer before the arrest, according to his statements to Us and other media.
The incident and arrest come amid ongoing family legal disputes reported by Us and Daily Mail, including previous custody filings between Zolciak and her estranged husband. Reporting notes the teen is one of several children the former couple share, and that court matters between the parents have received prior media attention.
News outlets covering the case have listed upcoming juvenile hearings and called on the public to allow the legal process to run its course. Several pieces included resources for anyone affected by sexual violence, mirroring language used in the original reports.
