Marty Roney, Montgomery Advertiser
Thu, July 17, 2025 at 5:33 PM UTC
1 min read
PRATTVILLE − Charges in an Autauga County child sex case have been dropped after the alleged victim recanted her story on the stand.
Bruce Wayne Abbott, 54, of Cullman, was indicted in October 2023 by the Autauga County Grand Jury on two counts of rape and two counts of sodomy, court records show. The alleged victim was a child under the age of 12.
On April 29, Circuit Judge Amanda Baxley entered an order dropping all charges at the request of the district attorney’s office. Abbott could not be reached for comment.
District Attorney CJ Robinson confirmed the alleged victim recanted her story during the bench trial. In a bench trial there is no jury, the judge makes the decision on the verdict.
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“She told a different story on the stand. It wasn’t the same story she told investigators, forensic interviewers or the grand jury,” Robinson said. “We asked for a recess and talked with her, and made sure no one had intimidated or threatened her in any way to get her to change her story. We are convinced no one intimidated her.
“We felt we had no option under these circumstances but to drop the charges.”
The girl will not face charges relating to filing a false report, he said. “In speaking with her and her family extensively, it was determined that she would not face any charges,” he said.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Child sex charges dropped in Autauga County case after story recanted
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