A former Alabama prison warden is in custody facing felony human trafficking and child exploitation charges, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Earl Danford, 69, of Hamilton, Alabama, was arrested as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation, sheriff’s officials announced.
On September 4, Danford was taken into custody as part of the regional inquiry, the sheriff’s office announced.
The suspect was charged with Human Trafficking in the First Degree, according to the sheriff’s office.
Danford was also charged with Traveling to Meet a Child for an Unlawful Sex Act, deputies said.
The professional background of the accused makes the case particularly notable, authorities said.
He is a former Alabama Department of Corrections warden, records show.
Both state corrections records and federal court filings identify Danford as a former warden who served at the Hamilton work release facility, court records show.
Those same department and federal court records show the former warden also served at the Childersburg work release facility, filings show.
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Danford once held authority within Alabama’s correctional system, according to records. Now, the former prison warden is sitting behind bars in a county detention center while awaiting further court proceedings, authorities said.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific conduct they allege led to Danford’s charges, police said.
The names of the two felony charges facing Danford have been made public by authorities. However, investigators have not yet released a detailed account of what the defendant allegedly did, according to officials.
Deputies have not publicly revealed who investigators believe was involved, according to the sheriff’s office.
The circumstances surrounding the arrest of the former warden have likewise not been disclosed, according to investigators.
The broader child exploitation investigation remains ongoing, meaning additional developments could emerge as investigators continue their work, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities have not yet publicly released enough information to establish precisely what allegedly occurred, police said. Danford has been charged, not convicted, and he is presumed innocent unless and until the allegations against him are proven in court.
The defendant is currently being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center, according to jail records.
Danford is awaiting an Aniah’s Law hearing as he remains in custody, according to the sheriff’s office.
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