diff --git a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AbstractCheck.java b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AbstractCheck.java
index 430257d5dc1..c20752d4c4d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AbstractCheck.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AbstractCheck.java
@@ -246,7 +246,21 @@ public final void setTabWidth(int tabWidth) {
      * @param args arguments to format
      */
     public final void log(DetailAST ast, String key, Object... args) {
-        log(ast.getLineNo(), ast.getColumnNo(), key, args);
+        final int col = 1 + CommonUtils.lengthExpandedTabs(
+                getLines()[ast.getLineNo() - 1], ast.getColumnNo(), tabWidth);
+        messages.add(
+                new LocalizedMessage(
+                        ast.getLineNo(),
+                        col,
+                        ast.getColumnNo(),
+                        ast.getType(),
+                        getMessageBundle(),
+                        key,
+                        args,
+                        getSeverityLevel(),
+                        getId(),
+                        getClass(),
+                        getCustomMessages().get(key)));
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessage.java b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessage.java
index 3161f30bf48..cd1fcd8fd1d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessage.java
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ public final class LocalizedMessage
     private final int lineNo;
     /** The column number. **/
     private final int columnNo;
+    /** The column char index. **/
+    private final int columnCharIndex;
     /** The token type constant. See {@link TokenTypes}. **/
     private final int tokenType;
 
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ public final class LocalizedMessage
      *
      * @param lineNo line number associated with the message
      * @param columnNo column number associated with the message
+     * @param columnCharIndex column char index associated with the message
      * @param tokenType token type of the event associated with the message. See {@link TokenTypes}
      * @param bundle resource bundle name
      * @param key the key to locate the translation
@@ -111,6 +114,7 @@ public final class LocalizedMessage
     // -@cs[ParameterNumber] Class is immutable, we need that amount of arguments.
     public LocalizedMessage(int lineNo,
                             int columnNo,
+                            int columnCharIndex,
                             int tokenType,
                             String bundle,
                             String key,
@@ -121,6 +125,7 @@ public LocalizedMessage(int lineNo,
                             String customMessage) {
         this.lineNo = lineNo;
         this.columnNo = columnNo;
+        this.columnCharIndex = columnCharIndex;
         this.tokenType = tokenType;
         this.key = key;
 
@@ -137,6 +142,35 @@ public LocalizedMessage(int lineNo,
         this.customMessage = customMessage;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a new {@code LocalizedMessage} instance.
+     *
+     * @param lineNo line number associated with the message
+     * @param columnNo column number associated with the message
+     * @param tokenType token type of the event associated with the message. See {@link TokenTypes}
+     * @param bundle resource bundle name
+     * @param key the key to locate the translation
+     * @param args arguments for the translation
+     * @param severityLevel severity level for the message
+     * @param moduleId the id of the module the message is associated with
+     * @param sourceClass the Class that is the source of the message
+     * @param customMessage optional custom message overriding the default
+     */
+    // -@cs[ParameterNumber] Class is immutable, we need that amount of arguments.
+    public LocalizedMessage(int lineNo,
+                            int columnNo,
+                            int tokenType,
+                            String bundle,
+                            String key,
+                            Object[] args,
+                            SeverityLevel severityLevel,
+                            String moduleId,
+                            Class<?> sourceClass,
+                            String customMessage) {
+        this(lineNo, columnNo, columnNo, tokenType, bundle, key, args, severityLevel, moduleId,
+                sourceClass, customMessage);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Creates a new {@code LocalizedMessage} instance.
      *
@@ -257,6 +291,7 @@ public boolean equals(Object object) {
         final LocalizedMessage localizedMessage = (LocalizedMessage) object;
         return Objects.equals(lineNo, localizedMessage.lineNo)
                 && Objects.equals(columnNo, localizedMessage.columnNo)
+                && Objects.equals(columnCharIndex, localizedMessage.columnCharIndex)
                 && Objects.equals(tokenType, localizedMessage.tokenType)
                 && Objects.equals(severityLevel, localizedMessage.severityLevel)
                 && Objects.equals(moduleId, localizedMessage.moduleId)
@@ -269,8 +304,8 @@ public boolean equals(Object object) {
 
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
-        return Objects.hash(lineNo, columnNo, tokenType, severityLevel, moduleId, key, bundle,
-                sourceClass, customMessage, Arrays.hashCode(args));
+        return Objects.hash(lineNo, columnNo, columnCharIndex, tokenType, severityLevel, moduleId,
+                key, bundle, sourceClass, customMessage, Arrays.hashCode(args));
     }
 
     /** Clears the cache. */
@@ -349,6 +384,14 @@ public int getColumnNo() {
         return columnNo;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the column char index.
+     * @return the column char index
+     */
+    public int getColumnCharIndex() {
+        return columnCharIndex;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the token type.
      * @return the token type
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessageTest.java b/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessageTest.java
index 972d5868a84..e8183e69b97 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessageTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/LocalizedMessageTest.java
@@ -223,6 +223,15 @@ public void testTokenType() {
         assertEquals("Invalid token type", TokenTypes.OBJBLOCK, localizedMessage2.getTokenType());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testGetColumnCharIndex() {
+        final LocalizedMessage localizedMessage1 = new LocalizedMessage(1, 1, 123,
+                TokenTypes.CLASS_DEF, "messages.properties", "key", null, SeverityLevel.ERROR,
+                null, getClass(), null);
+
+        assertEquals("Invalid column char index", 123, localizedMessage1.getColumnCharIndex());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testCompareToWithDifferentModuleId() {
         final LocalizedMessage message1 = createSampleLocalizedMessageWithId("module1");