A nine-month investigation of a sex crime against a child has culminated in the arrest of a 33-year-old Sampson County man.

Jeffrey Alan Bishop, 33, of 278 Hanson Road, Clinton, was taken into custody and charged with first degree sexual offense with a child and indecent liberties with a child. Bishop’s arrest Tuesday morning came about at the close of an investigation involving a 6-year-old child. The incident was originally reported on July 20, 2009.

According to sheriff’s reports, information was filed with that department in July 2009 alleging that Bishop forced a 6-year-old to perform a sexual act on him while he was temporarily caring for the child and a sibling a month earlier. The sibling reportedly informed the victim’s parents of the incident, which initiated the investigation.

Special needs of the victim, reports show, led investigators to work with therapists from Coordinated Health Services in Clinton, and child psychologists trained in forensic interviewing from the Carousel Center in Wilmington, to determine what transpired between the victim and the suspect.

The therapy and interviews spanned several months and occurred as the victim’s progress allowed.

Bishop was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center under a $120,000 bond and is scheduled for his first court appearance on Friday, April 16.