TALLADEGA
COUNTY
Grand jury indicts former teacher on sex charges
By Chris Norwood
08-31-2005
Former Talladega County Central High School teacher and head basketball coach Alvin Perez Taylor has been indicted by a grand jury on one count each of sexual abuse in the first degree and rape in the first degree, according to Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens. The counts involve two different victims, Giddens added.
The alleged events took place between October and November 2004, Giddens said. The Talladega County Board of Education suspended Taylor in February, when the sex abuse complaint was first being investigated.
He was terminated the following month, after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
At that time, Taylor turned himself in without further incident.
The arrest warrant contained only an allegation of sexual abuse involving a victim who “would have been 15 or 16 years old at the time of the offense,” Giddens said.
He added the uncertainty involved the fact the victim’s birthday fell during the time frame mentioned in the indictment.
The allegation of rape in the first degree was made during the course of the grand jury’s investigation, according to Giddens. The rape victim was 15 years old at the time.
Both victims were Taylor’s students.
The Alabama Criminal Code defines sexual abuse in the first degree as sexual contact without penetration involving either forcible compulsion or a victim under the age of 12. The former definition would apply in this case and the rape case, Giddens said.
The grand jury actually handed down the indictment Friday, but Giddens said Taylor was not served until Tuesday morning.
Taylor had been out on bond on the sexual abuse charge. He will have to post an additional $50,000 bond on the rape case before he can get out of the county jail.
Sexual abuse in the first degree is a class C felony in Alabama, punishable upon conviction by one year and one day to 10 years in prison. Rape in the first degree is a class A felony, punishable upon conviction by 10 to 99 years or life in prison.
The same grand jury that indicted Taylor also issued 66 other indictments, primarily in drug cases, Giddens said. He declined to comment on the specifics of these other cases until he knew the warrants had been served.
The grand jury also issued 16 no bills. Most of these, Giddens said, were also in drug cases, where a person might have been charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana or drug paraphernalia and felony possession of controlled substances, but later had there cases joined.
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About Chris Norwood
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Chris Norwood is a staff writer for The Daily Home.
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Contact Chris Norwood
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