Sgt. Charlie Spruill said the girl also was concerned she would get into trouble for coming home late that night.
The girl told police she was walking on a bike path near the 800 block of Davis Street around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 when a man pulled her into a brush-covered area and sexually assaulted her.
Spruill said the girl was treated for minor scrapes.
The girl gave a detailed description of the assailant, including the clothing he was wearing. Spruill said there might have been a person fitting that description in the area, or the girl could have described someone she knows.
During a follow-up investigation, police determined the girl's statements didn't match the physical evidence. When police confronted the girl, she said she made up the story because she wanted attention, Spruill said.
The girl is on probation for vandalism, and police will refer her false police report to the county probation department, Spruill said.
The probation department will decide whether to pursue the case in juvenile court and the girl could be fined, ordered to receive counseling or her family could be held responsible for the cost of the police investigation, Spruill said.
