Etowah County investigators filed additional sexual abuse charges Friday against a former employee of a juvenile care facility
Deputies arrested 61-year-old Roy Dean Pruett on Thursday afternoon. The initial charges were two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old and two counts of first-degree sodomy.
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A third victim reported abuse after Pruett’s arrest, and investigators added an additional charge of first degree sexual abuse.
“There are multiple children involved and the investigation is ongoing. There could be additional children involved. At this time we don’t know. Anyone who preys on children deserves to be behind bars,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Natalie Barton told ABC 33/40 on Thursday.
Deputies said Friday that the abuse happened at Pruett’s home in Gadsden. Until recently, he was employed as activity director of the Eagle Rock Boys Ranch, a group home for at-risk boys between the ages of nine and 19 years old. Investigators declined to comment on whether the victims were juveniles at Eagle Rock, but said the abuse did not take place at the juvenile care facility.
“This is a terrible crime involving innocent children and reports of this type are becoming too common,” Sheriff Todd Entrekin said.
“These children are brave, they came forward to help us put this predator behind bars. A special thanks is due to the James M. Barrie Center for their investigative help,” he said.
Eagle Rock executive director Scott Hilton said he terminated Pruett’s employment earlier in July for reasons unrelated to the accusations of sexual abuse.
The victims told investigators the abuse began in November 2012.
“I appreciate the hard work the Sheriff’s investigators put into this case,” district attorney Jimmie Harp said.
“Cases of this nature are particularly disturbing. The victimization of a child is something that we, as a community, cannot tolerate and we intend to see that those who would prey on children are brought to justice.”
An Etowah County judge set Pruett’s bond at $300,000 and he remained in the county jail Thursday evening.
