28-year-old Steven Sarandon Barnes from Alabama is accused of brutally raping a 5-year-old child, who was hospitalized and underwent surgery after the attack.
Barnes was arrested over the weekend on charges including chemical endangerment of a child and first-degree rape.
During his first court appearance, prosecutors added a count of aggravated child abuse to his charges. Barnes’ bond amount was increased from $106,000 to over $10 million.
Judge Glenn Goggans said: “I would grant no bond in the case if I could. But the law doesn’t allow for no bond in a non-capital case.”
Millbrook Police Chief P.K. Johnson said police responded to a Prattville hospital for a report of a sexually assaulted girl. He said the child underwent surgery and he believed she was now in a stable condition.
“I will say that this is one of the worst cases that I’ve seen in my 31 years in law enforcement,” Johnson said.
District Attorney Randall Houston told the Montgomery Advertiser: “Anybody who would do this to a child is a complete and total danger to the society and does not need to be roaming about the community where children are at large.
“This is one sick b*****d who I hope never sees the light of day. We’ll do everything we can to make that happen.”
Authorities started investigating the assault after the child was taken to Prattville Baptist Hospital. Because of the severity of her injuries, she had to be transferred to the Children’s Hospital where she underwent surgery.
Police arrested Barnes in the 400 block of Deatsville Highway in the neighborhood where the incident occurred. He has a prior criminal record that includes possession of marijuana.
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