Elijah Closson/Cortland County Sherriff's Office
The Cortland County Sheriff's Office arrested a Taylor man Friday for raping and briefly imprisoning a woman in a residence, according to the department.
Elijah J. Closson, 41, of Rt. 26, was arrested Friday in Taylor after evading police since an arrest warrant was issued against him in September, according to the office.
On Sept. 16, officers were told Closson raped a woman he knew and forced her to commit other sex acts, physically restraining her from leaving the Taylor residence they were in, said Sgt. A. D. Phelps.
Police began searching for Closson and obtained an arrest warrant, but Closson could not be found, said Phelps. On Friday, a patrol officer located Closson in Taylor and arrested him, according to police. At his arrest, police discovered Closson had a small amount of methamphetamine, said police.
Closson was charged with first-degree rape and first-degree criminal sex act, felonies, as well as two misdemeanors: second-degree unlawful imprisonment and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
The charge of first-degree criminal sex act is levied against a person accused of forcing another to have oral or anal sex, accoding to state penal law.
Closson was arraigned and remanded to the Cortland County Correctional Facility on $30,000 cash or $60,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday in Cincinnatus Town Court.
