A Cleveland man was arrested on charges of statutory rape Thursday night, a type of crime that is becoming more common in Bolivar County.

Seagram Foster, 30, was arrested for the incident that allegedly occured against an 11-year-old girl in the East Gate Subdivision.

On Monday, Zacherius James of Mound Bayou was arrested for sexual battery against an adult female, which also allegedly occured in the East Gate Subdivision.

“This has been happening a lot this year,” said Jeff Joel, investigator with the Bolviar County Sheriff’s Department. “I don’t know why this is.”

The sheriff’s department is not the only agency that has dealt with this type of crime in excess this year.

The Cleveland Police Department has also made several arrests.

From January to today, five arrests have been made including charges of statutory rape, molestation and sexual battery, all made against children.

“This is one of the harder things to investigate,” Joel said. “You’ve got a child in your office crying and it certainly gets to you. You get more emotionally involved. They are innocent and someone has tried to take that away from them or has taken that away from them.”

It’s important to note that many incidents against children are perpetrated by relatives or people they know. Children should know that no one has the right to touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable and that they should report any such behavior.

“You need to have a trusting relationship with your child,” Cleveland Police Chief Buster Bingham said. “The lines of communication need to be open. This is difficult for anyone to discuss, much less a child.”

Foster will have his initial court appearance today and James’ appearance is still pending.

To report suspicious activity or to report a crime, contact your local law enforcement or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.