By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 42-year-old Montevallo man who is facing charges alleging he molested an underage victim between 2012 and 2014 is set to stand trial on the charges in mid-September, according to scheduling documents recently filed in Shelby County Circuit Court.

James Michael Hooie’s charges were declared trial-ready in October 2016, and Shelby County Circuit Court Judge William Bostick has set the trial to begin on Sept. 10. Hooie must appear in court on July 30 for a pre-trial hearing, and must appear for a plea date on Aug. 28.

A Shelby County grand jury in May 2016 returned a three-count indictment against Hooie, who lists an address on Shelby County 84 in Montevallo and previously listed an address in Alabaster, upholding three felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse against him.

If convicted, Hooie could face up to 10 years in prison per charge.

Hooie has entered written pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to the three felony charges.

The Alabaster Police Department arrested Hooie on Dec. 14, 2014, and charged him with the three felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse.

The charges came after Hooie allegedly molested an underage female victim multiple times between 2012 and Dec. 11, 2014, according to his arrest warrants.

Hooie has been out of jail since Dec. 28, 2015, after posting bonds totaling $15,000.