photo by: Mike Yoder

The Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.

A Lawrence man was arrested this week after being charged with a sex crime he allegedly committed in 2017.

Matthew Charles Hart, 40, was arrested Thursday in connection with the case, jail records indicate.

A charge of aggravated criminal sodomy, a felony, was filed against him in November in Douglas County District Court. According to the complaint, he allegedly overcame a 33-year-old victim by force or fear in July 2017.

As an alternative, Hart is charged with aggravated sexual battery, a lower-severity felony, according to the complaint.

On Friday, Hart was being held on $50,000 bond, according to jail records. Court records indicate an arrest warrant for Hart was first requested the day charges were filed in November but denied at that time.

According to the complaint, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Additional details weren’t immediately available from the agency Friday morning.