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Man appears in court after toddler, naked girl found in car

A man, in whose car Garner police officers say they found a toddler boy and a naked preteen girl, made his first court appearance Thursday.

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Jonathan Leigh Sullivan
GARNER, N.C. — A man, in whose car Garner police officers say they found a toddler boy and a naked preteen girl, made his first court appearance Thursday.

A judge told Jonathan Leigh Sullivan, 41, of Raleigh, that he could get 19 years in prison if convicted of two counts each of sexual exploitation of a minor and taking indecent liberties with a child.

The judge granted Sullivan's request for a court-appointed attorney and kept his bond at $225,000.

His next court appearance was set for July 14 at 9 a.m.

Garner police arrested Sullivan Monday night after an off-duty officer spotted him parked in an undeveloped subdivision with the toddler in the car. After a search, they found the girl naked and hiding under a tarp, according the arrest warrants.

According to the search warrant, the girl told officers she spent time with Sullivan in their "quiet place." Officers seized photos, a camera, a laptop computer and computer discs from Sullivan's car, the warrant said.

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