MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A 53-year-old man arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 last year has been indicted by a Madison County grand jury, court documents show.
Clifford Hemstock’s indictment came just under one year after his initial arrest.
That arrest was the result of an investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson at the time.
“There was an investigation after the allegation was made,” Chief Deputy Stacy Bates said. “[A] follow-up investigation resulted in a warrant being obtained.”
State law defines the charge this way: “A person commits the crime of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old if he or she, being 16 years old or older, subjects another person who is less than 12 years old to sexual contact.”
The sexual abuse charge is a Class B felony, which upon conviction carries a sentencing range of 2 to 20 years in prison.
A pretrial docket hearing has been scheduled for May 10, with a jury trial set to begin on June 12 at the Madison County Courthouse.
