BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Already a registered sex offender, a suspect is back in custody on a new charge and bond of $300,000 cash, after a hearing before Circuit Judge Bill Lewis in Elmore County this morning.
Leon Prince, now 78, has spent many years working or volunteering with faith-based institutions in Alabama and most recently lives in Deatsville in Elmore County. He was convicted of Carnal Knowledge of a child from an incident in 1972. In 1991 he was sentenced to life in prison for that crime, which equated to 30 years at that time. However, after only 15 years he was released. He filed for a pardon from that offense, but it was denied.
Now Prince faces a new charge of Sexual Abuse of a Child Less than 12-year-old, which allegedly occurred at his house in Deatsville beginning around 2010. An alleged victim came forward last year to tell her story to investigators.
Prince was not immediately arrested in that case, but it was presented to an Elmore County Grand Jury in January. The Jury found there was sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, and Prince was arrested by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. At that time, his bond was set at $40,000, and he was able to bond out.
Prince was set for an initial appearance this month on this newest arrest, but it was delayed due to his diagnosis of COVID.
This morning, Prince was in court with his attorney Ron Purdue.
Assistant District Attorney Amanda Johnson and Chief Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson were present for the prosecution. They requested a higher bond amount for Prince, even though he has already made bond on the original $40,000.
First up to testify was Elmore County Investigator Bruner, who was the detective assigned to this case in April of 2021.
“On April 15, 2021 the victim in a report stated that the defendant, Leon Prince, put his hands down her pants and fondled her vagina. In a Butterfly Bridge interview, she disclosed the same information and described Prince’s house in detail. Victim stated that the offense occurred at the defendants home on Old Ferry Road in Deatsville, Alabama,” Bruner testified.
Bruner testified that the victim’s mother was in a relationship with Prince at the time the alleged abuse occurred.
On April 27, 2021 Prince sat down with Investigator Bruner with an attorney present. In that interview, Bruner said that Prince acknowledged knowing the mother of his accuser, but that his relationship was solely with the mother, not the daughter. He denied the allegation of sexual abuse of a child.
From his investigation, Bruner prepared a case to present to an Elmore County Jury.
Attorney Purdue then cross-examined Bruner. Through that, it was learned that at the time of the interviews, the victim was 16-years of age. The allegations date back to 2010 to 2011, making the victim around the age of 6 when the offenses allegedly occurred. The victim said in her interview with officials, that this alleged abuse occurred multiple times during that time period.
Judge Lewis then asked Bruner why this case was presented to a grand jury without an initial arrest of Prince on the allegations.
Bruner said there was no physical evidence at that time, so the case was presented to the Grand Jury. He said he was aware, at that time, that Prince had a criminal history and conviction for a similar offense.
Next up, Assistant DA Johnson asked for the judge to allow testimony from Allison Black Cornelius, who was the victim in the case of which Prince was found guilty in 1991. The incidents related back to 1972.
Defense Attorney Purdue objected to this, stating they were in court for a bond issue, not related to Prince’s finding of guilt in the earlier case.
Judge Lewis countered that because the court was not made aware of Prince’s criminal history, that was not considered when the initial $40,000 bond was set.
Lewis said that prior convictions can be considered before a bond amount is set.
“The whole issue here is that the court was not made aware of the prior convictions prior to bond being set. So, obviously that may be a factor in the court assessing a bond had they known, and had it been disclosed, that there was a prior criminal history with facts that are similar to what the defendant is currently charged with. So, I want to hear a little bit about what happened in the crime. We know there was a conviction. We know there are facts that warrant that conviction. If they are similar in this case to what the defendant is currently charged with, I think that is one of the factors that the court (can consider) before bond is set,” Lewis said.
Judge Lewis asked Cornelius if she was comfortable testifying, and she said that she was.
Today Cornelius is the Chief Executive Officer for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society of Alabama. She has become an advocate for other victims of abuse, and said she has been in contact with over 50 other alleged victims concerning Leon Prince.
Cornelius then began her testimony.
“I was seven when it started. It started in January of 1972 and it ended right before Easter weekend of 1972.”
Mr. Prince’s family was close friends with her grandmother’s family in Tarrant City, Alabama. Her aunt and mother knew Leon and his older brother. They attended church together at Tarrant First Baptist Church.
Asst. Attorney Johnson said, “Would it be fair to say that (Prince) had access to you through your family and your church,” and Cornelius affirmed.
Cornelius confirmed that in her assault, she was a victim of rape, sodomy and what would today be considered sexual torture.
She said she first told her story to others at the age of seven, but it was not prosecuted at that time. In her early 20s, Cornelius told her story to law enforcement which led to Prince’s conviction.
Throughout this process, in the last six months before Cornelius was aware of the new accusations against Prince, she testified she has had people reach out to her claiming to be other victims. This group is now working together to make sure this current case is investigated in the hopes of prosecution. Cornelius said she believes Prince is a danger to society and the general public. She said she sees this as a pattern of behavior and that Prince used his position in faith-based organizations to have access to children.
“After Leon got out of prison, and I found out he had joined Frazier Methodist Church and was at Mt. Meigs, supposedly mentoring juvenile sex offenders, I think that when it was really clear to me that he was going to go back to faith-based organizations and try again to have access to children. I had hoped that would not be the case.”
She said she also sees a pattern of using mothers to gain access to their children.
“He certainly used my mother. During the week of the trial, the District Attorney’s Office in Jefferson County and I began to meet with parents that had met Leon through faith-based activities. The victims and their parents that contacted me when this (initial) bond was issued. It was mostly women that were, and I do not mean this disrespectfully, but they were prostitutes or sexually trafficked and they did not feel like they had any way to be heard or report based on their choices. I think it is also important the court knows that when Mr. Prince did what he did to me and some other victims, we also had to watch him do it to (a family member) that was four at the time. She is now in Tutwiler. And so it is my opinion, as a victim, that there is not anybody that he would not use for whatever purposes he is doing this for. Whether it is a child, or me, or however he has to do it, because he apparently can’t stop.”
Defense Attorney Purdue did not question Cornelius.
From there the judge and prosecuting attorneys discussed different rules of law that can be considered in bond modifications. Johnson and Robinson said that because the court was now aware of the previous criminal history of Prince, it was a misrepresentation to the court before bond was initially set at $40,000.
Judge Lewis said, “I think it important for everyone to understand what the process is and how we got to this point. This was what was called a direct present to the Grand Jury. So, it didn’t go through the normal courts as an original arrest being made and then a bond being set. The case was presented to a Grand Jury. The Grand Jury found there was probable cause in this case to return an indictment. It is my understanding that what happened at that point, the District Attorneys Office would let the court know, they would flag the case, let them know if there were any priors or anything to take into account when we set the bond. The bond had not been set (at that point) because it was fresh. So, in this case, a judge is not an advocate. The system is broken if I am an advocate. The court can only take into account when considering bonds or making a ruling on any issue, what comes from the advocates. In this case the advocates are the state and the defense attorney.”
Lewis said that the initial bond was higher than normal, even without the knowledge of the prior conviction.
As for being unaware of the prior criminal history before he set the initial bond, Lewis said “It would have been nice to know that.”
Judge Lewis said the bond would have been higher had he known. “My track record speaks for itself. The judge only knows the information provided by all of you.”
Lewis said that once he learned about the prior conviction, he issued an order as presiding judge that now in his circuit the District Attorney’s office will always disclose prior criminal histories for Class A and B felonies that are direct present to grand juries, sex offenses and violent crimes regardless of the class. “So we won’t have that issue anymore,” Lewis said.
Defense Attorney Purdue then addressed Judge Lewis, to clarify that the investigator in this case knew there was a past criminal conviction prior to bond being set.
“Everybody knew about the prior history, but nobody let me know,” Judge Lewis clarified. “It’s not going to happen again though.”
Purdue then continued saying that Prince had a bond set, which he made, and “he has not violated any provisions of a bond.”
He said that the District Attorney’s request for a new bond is “in essence no bond. There is no way Mr. Prince can make bond that has been asked to be set. We would ask to just maintain the bond that has been set. As an alternative you can set restrictions on the bond if the court has any concerns that Mr. Prince may somehow do something, somewhere, somehow, you can set whatever restriction you want to put on the bond.”
Purdue said that Prince has been diagnosed with cancer (leukemia) and has several health issues.
Lewis said that in setting the new bond, he took into consideration the prior criminal history.
Judge Lewis said while Prince is out of jail, it seems like there is a common theme. “He is presumed innocent in this case and deserves all due process available. But the fact that this case has similarities to a case he has already been found guilty of, that must also be taken into consideration.”
Judge Lewis said he does find that Prince is a danger to the public.
“Based on those factors the court does find that a higher bond is needed in this case.”
Addressing Prince directly, Lewis said, “The court is going to increase the bond to $300,000 cash. In the event you can make that bond you would be required to wear an ankle monitor and report to Pardons and Parole at all times. You are a registered sex offender.”
Lewis said that Prince should not be around any unrelated juveniles at any time or overnight. He said that even with a prior conviction, he is concerned that Prince continued to put himself in a position to have access to underage children.
“I would like to try this case as soon as possible,” Judge Lewis said. “So, at this point I am launching and restricting any parties in this case and any potential witnesses from making judicial statements. When I set this for a trial, I do not want a motion to change the venue based on publicity.”
Prior to today’s hearing, the District Attorneys Office had issued a press release with VOCAL with a hotline number for any other potential victims to call. The judge said he did not have a problem with that.
“Victims coming forward on different cases is fine,” Lewis said. “But anything regarding this defense is concerned…no interviews. Because then I have to worry about a motion to change the venue based on pre-trial publicity involved and that backs me up.”
If you believe you or someone you know could be a potential victim, the District Attorney and VOCAL have a hotline number to call.
In a release, it states, “The Office of the District Attorney and VOCAL are committed to protecting victims of crime. For those who may have information pertaining to crimes committed by Leon Prince, or for those who have been victimized and would like to speak to an advocate, help is available. Victims may call 800-239-3219 in order to speak with someone who can assist.”
