An Enterprise church youth director who has been arrested and charged with second-degree rape appeared in court March 21.
Investigators with the Enterprise Police Department arrested Timothy Thomas, 25, youth director at St. Luke United Methodist Church, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a juvenile under the age of consent.
Police first received the report of the crime March 19 at about 7 p.m.
The Criminal Investigation Division of the EPD is still investigating and additional charges may be pending.
According to EPD public information officer, Sgt. Billy Haglund, the alleged crime took place sometime between Feb. 28 and March 20, 2013.
Haglund said church officials at St. Luke United Methodist have been fully cooperative during the investigation.
During Thomas' initial appearance, March 21, District Attorney Tom Anderson said the 14-year-old victim was a student of Thomas' at the church. The investigation also indicated at least seven individual acts of sexual intercourse with the victim.
Haglund said the investigation has shown that no crime was committed at the church.
District Judge Paul Sherling set Thomas' bond at $30,000 with the conditions that he wear an ankle monitor and have no contact with the victim or the victim's family.
Other conditions are that he not leave the state of Alabama without permission of the court, commit no other offenses while out on bond and have no contact with any female under the age of 18 years old.
The $30,000 bond, Sherling said, is on the high-end of the bond schedule for a second-degree rape charge.
During the hearing, Anderson recommended a $75,000 bond because more charges are expected and there was concern about Thomas contacting the victim.
Anderson said Thomas continued contact with the victim even after church personnel were made aware of the situation.
Anderson also noted the victim was located at his home when investigators arrived to question him.
Thomas did not request a preliminary hearing and said he has hired his own attorney, Warren Rowe, to represent him.
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