U.S. Air Force officer arrested in California; charged with multiple sex crimes in Alabama

From JPatterson@ago.state.al.us:

MONTGOMERY - Attorney General Troy King announced today that an Alabama man stationed at a An Alabama man stationed at a California Air Force Base has been arrested for multiple sex crimes charged in a Morgan County, Alabama, indictment.

Lt. Zachary W. Mullins was arrested yesterday at Vendenberg Air Force Base and is being held at the Santa Barbara Detention Facility in California.

Mullins, 22, is from Hartselle, Alabama. The alleged crimes occurred before Mullins joined the United States Air Force.

Attorney General King's Family Protection Unit presented evidence to a Morgan County grand jury, resulting in a three-count indictment* of Mullins in July of 2009. Specifically the indictment charges that Mullins:
-being older than 16, engaged in deviate sexual intercourse with a child between 12 and 16, which is second-degree sodomy, a class B felony;
-being older than 16 (and more than two years older than his victim), engaged in sexual intercourse with a child aged between 12 and 16, which is second-degree rape, a class B felony;
-being 19 years or older, subjected a child aged between 12 and 16 to sexual contact, which is second-degree sexual abuse, a class A misdemeanor.

A $30,000 bond from Alabama is currently in place, and a fugitive detention hearing may be held in California within the next couple of days. If Mullins does not voluntarily return to Alabama, the Attorney General's Office may then initiate extradition proceedings.

If convicted, Mullins faces a maximum penalty of two to 20 years imprisonment for each of the two charges of second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy, and up to one year imprisonment for the charge of second-degree sexual abuse.

Charges are pending against a former Morgan County schoolteacher for related crimes involving the same victim. Jessica Heather Defoor of Decatur was served with her indictment* and arrested in August. She had been on administrative leave from her job as a second-grade teacher at Danville-Neel Elementary School for some time. Defoor is charged with one count of enticing a child aged between 12 and 16 with lascivious intent to propose an act of sexual intercourse, sodomy, or other sexual acts -- a class C felony punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment -- and with one count of second-degree sexual abuse by subjecting a child aged less than 16 years old and older than 12 to sexual contact -- a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year imprisonment.

"Children are vulnerable and deserve our protection from those who would take advantage of their innocence," said Attorney General King. "I have dedicated my Family Protection Unit to this important mission, and we are committed to safeguarding the children of Alabama from those who would abuse and harm them."

No further information about the investigation of about the defendants' alleged crimes other than that stated in the indictments may be released at this time.

Attorney General King commended Assistant Attorney General Kelly Hawkins, chief of the Family Protection Unit, Assistant Attorney General Hallie Dixon, and the Attorney General's Investigations Division. The Attorney General made special note of the valuable assistance provided in the apprehension of Mullins in California, by special agents of the U.S. Air Force Office of Investigations at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and detectives and staff of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. He also thanked the Decatur Police Department, the Morgan County Sheriff's Office,and the Morgan County Board of Education for assistance in this matter.

*Please Note: An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.