A federal law enforcement officer turned himself in to the Baldwin County Jail on Saturday to face a series of felony sex offense charges, according to the Spanish Fort Police Department.
Kent Blacklidge, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, surrendered on Sept. 5. Spanish Fort police announced the arrest in a release posted to the department’s Facebook page.
The Charges
According to the department’s release, Blacklidge turned himself in on the following charges:
- Rape, first degree
- Rape, second degree
- Sodomy, first degree
- Sodomy, second degree
- Sexual abuse, first degree (two counts)
- Sexual abuse, second degree (two counts)
- Incest
Spanish Fort police said Blacklidge was placed on administrative leave at the onset of the investigation.
‘Without Fear or Favor’
Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber addressed the fact that the defendant is himself a law enforcement officer.
“Without fear or favor, our responsibility in law enforcement is to pursue justice and protect victims of crime, regardless if the perpetrator wears a badge or not,” Barber said.
The statement is short, and it is doing something specific. Cases in which a law enforcement officer is the accused carry a well-documented credibility problem for the agencies handling them, and departments that investigate their own or investigate officers from partner agencies face reasonable public skepticism about whether the case will be pursued with the same vigor as any other. Barber’s statement is an explicit commitment on that point, made in public and at the outset.
A Press Conference Tuesday
A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, with details on time and location to follow.
The department has not released further information about the allegations, including when the alleged offenses are said to have occurred, how the investigation began, or how long it has been underway. Charging documents have not been made public.
South Alabama News does not identify victims of alleged sexual offenses, and no identifying information about anyone involved beyond the defendant has been released by investigators.
What These Charges Carry in Alabama
The charges span several classifications under Alabama law.
First-degree rape and first-degree sodomy are Class A felonies, the state’s most serious felony classification, carrying a sentencing range of not less than 10 years and not more than 99 years or life. Second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy are Class B felonies, carrying two to 20 years. First-degree sexual abuse is a Class C felony; second-degree sexual abuse is a misdemeanor. Incest is a Class C felony in Alabama.
Alabama’s sex offense statutes distinguish among degrees principally by the age of the alleged victim, the age difference between the parties, whether forcible compulsion is alleged, and whether the alleged victim was capable of consent. Because charging documents have not been released, the specific theory behind each count is not public.
Convictions for offenses in this category in Alabama also carry sex offender registration and notification requirements that continue after any sentence is served.
Presumption of Innocence
The charges are accusations. Blacklidge has not been convicted of any offense, and he is presumed innocent unless and until the State proves each charge beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. That presumption applies with the same force to a defendant who carries a federal badge as to any other.
Jurisdiction
Although Blacklidge is a federal agent, the charges announced are state offenses under Alabama law, brought following an investigation by the Spanish Fort Police Department. He surrendered at the Baldwin County Jail, and the case would ordinarily proceed through the Baldwin County court system and the office of the district attorney for Alabama’s 28th Judicial Circuit.
A federal officer accused of state crimes is prosecuted in state court in the same way any resident would be. Federal employment does not confer immunity from state criminal charges for conduct outside the scope of official duties.
Homeland Security Investigations is the principal investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with responsibility for transnational crime including human trafficking, child exploitation, financial crime, narcotics and cybercrime. Spanish Fort police said Blacklidge was placed on administrative leave when the investigation began, which is the standard federal personnel response to a criminal investigation of an employee and is not itself a finding of any kind.
What Comes Next
A defendant booked into the Baldwin County Jail on charges of this severity would ordinarily appear before a judge for an initial appearance and bond determination. Class A felony charges typically carry substantial bond amounts, and courts may impose conditions of release including no-contact orders.
The case would then move toward either a preliminary hearing or direct grand jury presentation. An indictment would send the matter to circuit court for arraignment.
Spanish Fort police have not indicated whether the investigation remains open or whether additional charges are anticipated.
South Alabama News will report additional details following Tuesday’s press conference.