Child sex abuse trial to begin Monday

Nov. 10--MOULTON -- The trial of a Moulton man charged in 2013 with child sex abuse is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Monday.

Patrick Lynn Brown, 35, of Moulton, was arrested on two counts of first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse of a child under 12 in 2013, authorities said. They said the victims were sisters ages 10 and 12 at the time of the alleged abuse.

At a pretrial plea docket hearing Thursday morning, Lawrence County Circuit Judge Mark Craig met with defense attorney Michael Terry and Bob Lang and Errek Jett of the District Attorney's Office for about 10 minutes before setting the trial date.

Jett said the judge denied Terry's request for a continuance.

Jett said he expects the trial to last three to four days. "The jury pool will be called Monday, and we'll be ready for our opening statements that I suspect will begin Tuesday morning," he said.

He said the state expects to call about six to eight witnesses.

Sitting on the front row in the courtroom, Brown was not asked to answer any questions Thursday. Afterward, outside in the parking lot, he said "no comment" when asked about the upcoming trial.

Terry said the defense expects to call about five witnesses.

Brown was in Lawrence County Jail nearly four years until a couple of months ago with bail set at $359,030, Terry said.

Lawrence County investigators said Brown knew the girls' family, and the contact allegedly occurred when Brown was left alone with the girls.

In 2013, Sheriff Gene Mitchell said the Department of Human Resources contacted his office, and a four-month investigation was launched before an arrest was made.

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