Police accuse Jarred Workman of starting an online relationship with the girl and then sneaking into her room.
Cops say Workman did his best to avoid being found.
"During the day, he was either in her closet or in her bedroom, and when she would come home from school or on the weekend or whatever, he would come out in evenings."
In his haste, the intruder dropped his cell-phone and wallet, making tracking him down significantly easier.
USA Today says the girl’s mother was putting clothes away when she opened the closet and surprised Workman, who ran out of the house.
Workman faces life in prison from the 11 counts of statutory rape and five counts of statutory sex.
"I'm uncomfortable in my own home," the girl's mother told WSOC-TV. "I'm scared. I can't sleep at night," she went on.
Cops in Charlotte, North Carolina used the incident to remind parents to keep track of who their kids talk to and the sites they visit online.