Phoenix factory worker accused of months-long sexual abuse, kidnapping

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A Phoenix factory worker has been arrested after a coworker came forward with allegations detailing a grueling, months-long campaign of workplace sexual harassment, abuse and an attempted kidnapping.

What we know:

Alex Lane, 45, was taken into custody by Phoenix police officers on Wednesday following an investigation into multiple incidents that allegedly occurred between November 2025 and April 2026. Court documents state that despite the victim repeatedly reporting the behavior, a supervisor dismissed the claims, threatened the victim and provided Lane with a company lab coat to cover up his frequent erections.

Police are recommending more than 10 criminal charges, including four counts of indecent exposure, five counts of felony sexual abuse, one count of public sexual indecency and one count of attempted kidnapping.

Lane was being held Thursday on a $300,000 bond.

The backstory:

The investigation began on April 24 when Phoenix police officers responded to the victim's home. The woman told investigators that Lane regularly exposed himself to her and gratified himself while staring at her at the factory where they both worked.

According to a probable cause statement, the harassment escalated to physical contact on multiple occasions. In March, Lane reportedly hid behind a storage room door, emerged masturbating when the victim entered to put on boots, and rubbed his hands on her body. The victim later discovered a white substance on her clothing.

In April, Lane allegedly cornered the victim in a hallway, dragged her into a storage room and sexually assaulted her. He fled and hid when another coworker walked around the corner. A few days later, the victim was bending down to pick up juice bottles when Lane allegedly touched her face with his fully exposed body.

The other side:

When investigators interviewed Lane at his home on June 8, he admitted to exposing himself to coworkers but blamed a series of clothing malfunctions, such as a broken button, a broken belt and a loose drawstring. He also stated his penis would slip out of his underwear when he became aroused, confirming that management had given him a lab coat to hide his erections.

Lane denied any sexual assault, claiming his only physical contact involved placing his hands on the shoulders of two female employees to move past them.

Dig deeper:

Investigators noted that multiple female employees had previously complained about Lane and that he had faced similar accusations of indecent exposure at a prior workplace.

What we don't know:

Police and court documents do not name the factory, so we weren't able to reach out with questions about the allegations or Lane's employment status.

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