Investigator details charges in child porn case

RUSSELLVILLE — Details from an interview between Abigail Roberts and an investigator regarding the child pornography and sodomy charges against the 22-year-old were disturbing enough to move two inmates to tears during a preliminary hearing Thursday.

In accordance with Aniah’s Law, which allows violent offenders to be held without bond, Roberts will remain in the Franklin County Jail after District Judge Jamie Sumerel denied her request for bond.

In total, Roberts faces at least 106 charges, including 30 counts each of production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and dissemination of child pornography.

She also has been charged with 11 counts of first-degree sexual abuse, three counts of first-degree sodomy, one count of directing a child to engage in a sexual act, and one count of enticing a child into a room for immoral purposes.

The victim involved in the allegations was six years old at the time of the incident.

During Thursday’s hearing, Franklin County District Attorney Jeff Barksdale called one witness, Clint Holcombe, who is an investigator with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

During Holcombe’s testimony, two female inmates, who were in the courtroom for hearings on their own cases, were seen crying and shaking their heads.

As the lead investigator in the case, Holcombe received a call shortly after 8 p.m. on April 12 regarding the allegations against Roberts.

Upon arriving at the sheriff’s office, Holcombe said he interviewed Roberts for about 90 minutes.

Holcombe then read from a paraphrased transcript of the interview with Roberts.

Roberts, who is initially from Georgia and has three children of her own, told Holcombe she was in the area with her boyfriend and had “made the acquaintance of” the victim’s mother. She also claimed she had been living with the victim and her family for approximately three weeks.

Prior to her living with the victim’s family, Roberts told investigators she had known the family for at least three years.

Due to renovations at her apartment complex in Russellville, Roberts was staying at the victim’s house in Tharptown at the time of her arrest, Holcombe said.

During the interview, Roberts claimed she was forced into taking photos and videos of the child because she had received threats to “kill her,” according to Holcombe’s testimony. She said she was under the belief her boyfriend was involved with a gang, and she would be harmed if she didn’t take the photos and videos of the child.

Holcombe’s testimony from the interview revealed Roberts “took baths” with the victim and was giving the child a bath when the alleged photos and videos were taken.

While bathing the child, Roberts said she was taking photos of herself to send to her boyfriend when she claimed the victim asked if she could take photos of her.

“You can do what you want with it, but I’m going to delete them if we do it,” Roberts allegedly told the victim, according to Holcombe’s testimony.

Speaking to the victim, Roberts allegedly informed the child she could go to jail for the photos, but she claims the child promised the photos would be deleted.

Roberts then claimed she “never forced” the victim to take any photos, but rather the child was “willing” to do so.

In addition to the photos and videos, Roberts is also accused of sodomy of the victim.

Roberts allegedly told investigators she “never once made her (victim) touch me and I never once touched her.”

However, a search of her electronic devices revealed numerous photos and approximately 10 videos of Roberts and the victim “naked together” and “performing sexual acts on each other,” according to Holcombe.

Roberts also allegedly told investigators the victim “asked” if she could perform the acts on her, claiming the child said she “wanted to be a stripper” when she grows up.

When asked if she realized a six-year-old child cannot give consent, Roberts allegedly replied, “um, no” to Holcombe.

Roberts also claimed to be high on marijuana and oxycodone at the time of her arrest.

The victim’s family members eventually learned of the incidents and confronted Roberts before calling law enforcement.

Following his recount of the interview, Holcombe was asked by Barksdale if he believed Roberts to be a danger to the community, to which he responded in the affirmative.

While Roberts has a father who lives in Huntsville, which her attorney argued is who she could live with while out on bond, Sumerel said Roberts should have stayed in Huntsville, as opposed to “coming to Russellville, Alabama.”

Based on the serious nature of her alleged crimes, Sumerel said he could not take the chance of Roberts repeating the offenses.

“I can’t take the risk of you having contact with another child,” Sumerel said.