NEWS SOURCE

PRESS RELEASE

DATE: February 5, 2010

FROM:   Covington County District Attorney's Office

RE:    Former pastor receives four consecutive life sentences for child sex crimes

On Friday, Ralph Lee Aaron, the former pastor of a Covington County church, pleaded guilty to one (1) count of Sodomy in the First Degree and three (3) counts of Production of Obscene Matter Involving a Child Under the Age of 17.  Pursuant to his plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, Aaron received a life sentence on each count.  His life sentences will run consecutively to each other, meaning that he has to serve out one life sentence before he begins to get credit on the next life sentence.  Under Alabama law, Aaron will not be eligible for parole  as he plead guilty to sexual crimes involving a child under the age of 12.

“Unless the law changes, Ralph Aaron will never get out of prison,” stated District Attorney Greg Gambril.  “He has plead to four child sex crimes that will prevent him from being eligible for parole.  Considering he will have to serve four life sentences for these crimes, he will die behind bars for the crimes that he perpetrated on these children.”
Last October, after a thorough investigation by the Covington County Sheriff’s Department and the Covington County Department of Human Resources, Aaron was charged with 56 counts of various sex crimes including Sodomy I, Sexual Abuse of a Child Under the Age of 12, Sexual Torture, and Production and/or Dissemination of Obscene Matters involving a Child Under the Age of 17.  These charges stemmed from acts perpetrated upon four children who he had contact with through the church where he was pastor.  He was also charged with 97 counts of possession of child pornography for images he downloaded off of the internet.
“The evidence in this case was overwhelming and we decided to bring as many charges as we could up front to ensure that this predator would remain incarcerated until the case was disposed of,” Gambril said.  “The decision to plead him to four charges was one reached with the families of the four victims.  We recognized that, when you’re talking in terms of a life sentence and the law says ‘no parole,’ then anything past one life sentence is overkill.   Regardless, together we decided that he should be held accountable for at least one act perpetrated on each child and should receive the maximum punishment for each.”
Gambril noted that, with Aaron’s guilty plea, none of the children had to testify before a grand jury or trial.  “These are strong kids who have parents that have a deep love for them.  These families all have an incredibly strong faith.  Testifying would only have victimized these boys further and, with the court proceedings behind them, they can now focus completely on the healing process without having to worry about facing Aaron in court or him ever getting out of prison,” Gambril said.  “Please pray for their continuing recovery.”
Gambril commended the Covington County Sheriff’s Department, especially Investigator Wesley Snodgrass, the Covington County Department of Human Resources, and the Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center for the careful detail that they put into collecting evidence against Aaron and into working with the child victims.  “From the very start, everyone involved in this investigation worked with the District Attorney’s Office towards making an ironclad case against this man.  At the same time, the investigation was handled delicately in regards to the child victims to avoid having to force them to recount over and over again what happened.  I really appreciate the way we were all faced with crimes the likes of which we have never encountered, but were able to band together and smoothly follow a process that produced impeccable results while minimizing the additional trauma having to be endured by these boys.”
Gambril said that this case sends a strong message to all sexual predators.  “Law enforcement, DHR, the Child Advocacy Center, and the District Attorney’s Office will continue to partner together on these types of cases.  We will find these predators, we will make strong cases against them, and we will put them behind bars.  Our technological abilities to apprehend on-line predators continues to improve.  At the same time, we will protect our children by continuing to educate them and their parents,” Gambril said.  “I assure you, child sex predators now fear us more than we fear them.”