A man accused of raping and molesting children had faced 105 charges, but now that's down to five. Prosecutors say that's because the Tallassee police officer investigating the case is now being investigated himself. Stephen Conrad came to court today to make a plea on his case, but that didn't happen -- instead, that plea has been delayed. And District Attorney, Randall Houston, says that's because Tallassee Assistant Chief, Chris Miles, was the lead investigator in the Conrad case -- but he illegally obtained the evidence and it can no longer be used.
"It calls into question everything with that officer and everything about the case," Said C.J. Robinson with the Elmore County District Attorney's office. He says it's a case that's left he and other investigators able to only prove five charges against Stephen Conrad, who is accused of raping and molesting eight children in the last 11 years. Four of those children were family members. And the youngest was three months old.
Robinson says the lead investigator in the case, Tallassee Assistant Police Chief Chris Miles, physically coerced Conrad into confessing, as well as three co-defendants, including his wife, Brandy Conrad, Helen Gantt and Mark Jeffrey Ray. They were were charged with failure to report the sexual abuse of a child.