Former Lee County deputy charged with sexual abuse

A former deputy for the Lee County Sheriff's Office was released on $10,000 bond Wednesday after he was accused of  inappropriately touching a girl under 12-years-old.

Kevin W. Taylor of Phenix City was arrested by State Bureau of Investigation of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency at 4 p.m. CST and charged with one count of sexual abuse of a child. He was released on bond after he was booked into the Lee County Detention facility. The charge will be presented to a Lee County Grand Jury after the first of the year.

Sheriff Jay Jones requested an independent investigation due to Taylor's association with the sheriff's office where he formerly served as a deputy.

An investigation was launched on Nov. 9 after the girl's mother told authorities that her daughter may have been inappropriately touched.

Taylor, an employee of the sheriff's office for more than seven years and a deputy at the time the report was filed, was fired from his position. The offense is alleged to have occurred while Taylor was off duty.

Authorities believe this is an isolated incident although the investigation is ongoing.

Under state law, sexual abuse occurs when a child under 12 is subjected to sexual contact from a person 16-years-old or older. The charge is a class B felony and may be punishable by a sentence of two to 20 years in prison and a fine of not more than $30,000.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Former Lee County deputy charged with sexual abuse."