Man Sentenced for Rape, Sex Abuse Involving Young Girls
By Kendra Carter
A 59-year-old Gadsden man convicted of rape and sex abuse involving four young girls he befriended at the church where he volunteered on Wednesday was sentenced to prison terms totaling 110 years. Thomas Russell Reilly appeared before Etowah County Circuit Judge Allen Millican for sentencing on one count of first-degree rape and four counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12 years of age, according to a news release from the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office. Reilly was convicted April 5 by an Etowah County jury. Millican sentenced Reilly to 30 years in state prison on the rape charge and 20 years for each of the sexual abuse charges. The judge ordered the terms to be served concurrently. Testimony in the trial indicated that Reilly, who lived alone, allowed young girls to spend the night with him on Saturdays, then took them to church at The Tabernacle on Sunday mornings. At the time of the incidents, the victims were between 5 and 10 years old. They testified that when they were alone at the house with Reilly, he would touch them inappropriately and that he engaged in sexual intercourse with one of the girls, who was only 7 years old at the time. Additional evidence that was not presented at trial, but was included in the presentence report prepared by the Alabama Department of Pardons and Paroles, showed these weren’t the first such allegations to be brought against Reilly. Reports were filed in 1997 with the Gadsden Police Department for the offenses of sexual abuse, indecent exposure and enticing a child for immoral purposes. Although formal charges were not brought, an investigation was conducted that also involved underage children. Several family members and friends attended the sentencing hearing to support Reilly. After he pronounced sentence, Millican addressed those people in the courtroom, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I notice there are a lot of folks here this morning that came and watched this trial, and I received some mail from some of the elders in the church that watched this trial. Some of the mail made reference to an overzealous district attorney and the fact that if they were on the jury, they would find reasonable doubt.” “I am here to tell you that I heard a wise man once say, ‘Render unto Caesar those things that are Caesar’s and unto God those things that are God’s,’” the judge said, quoting Matthew 22:21. “I pray about my cases, every one I have to try and rule about. I don’t appreciate somebody trying to second guess me on something like that and sending me stuff from the House of the Lord. Y’all need to tend to your business, and I’ll tend to mine.” Tommy Marshall, senior pastor at The Tabernacle who was at the sentencing hearing, said as far as he knew, the letters were not from the church’s elders. Marshall said the church’s leadership did not sanction such letters and that he fully supports the judicial system. Deputy District Attorney Carol Griffith, who prosecuted the case, said that she believed that the sentence imposed on Reilly was fair, given the facts presented at trial. “This was an extremely emotional case for all the parties involved. Anytime you are dealing with young children as victims, it is particularly difficult,” Griffith said. “And I can understand the defendant’s family and friends disagreeing with the jury’s verdict. However, that is our criminal justice system at work. I believe that the jury made the correct decision in finding this man guilty based upon substantial evidence presented at trial, and that Judge Millican followed the law in imposing the sentence.” Griffith said in her opinion, Millican’s comments were intended only to point out to church members, who have been extremely supportive of Reilly, that the Bible did provide for earthly punishment for violations of the law, and were not intended as any type of commentary on The Tabernacle or its members. District Attorney Jimmie Harp indicated he supported Millican’s statements to those who were present on Reilly’s behalf. “These are hard cases and emotions run high. Judge Millican is an exceptional judge who works very hard to make sure that the cases that are before him are conducted in a manner that is fair to both sides throughout the process,” Harp said in the news release. “I believe that a fair trial was had in this case. Our office will continue to zealously prosecute crimes against children.” Griffith also thanked Gadsden Police Sgt. Mike Hooks, the state Department of Human Resources and the James M. Barrie Center for Children for their work in investigating the cases.
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