By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – An 83-year-old Calera man who has been charged with multiple counts of producing child pornography likely will remain in jail until his trial begins in November, after a Shelby County Circuit Court judge again denied the suspect’s request for a lower bond in early September.

Dr. Ruepert Bryan, who lists an address on Kensington Manor Drive in Calera, has been indicted on three felony counts of producing child pornography and one felony count of first-degree sexual abuse, and is set to stand trial on the charges beginning on Nov. 5.

He must appear in court for a pre-trial docket call on Sept. 24, and must appear in court for a plea date on Oct. 30.

Bryan, who previously worked as an ear, nose and throat doctor in Alabaster, faces up to life in prison if he is convicted on the production of child pornography charges, and faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted of the sexual abuse charge.

According to his arrest warrants, Bryan allegedly produced obscene matter of a person under the age of 17 including “breast nudity, sodomy, sexual abuse and other sexual conduct” on Jan. 1, 2002.

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2002, Bryan’s arrest warrants allege he produced more obscene matter containing similar content.

Bryan has remained in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $500,000 since his 2016 arrest.

On June 5, attorneys for Bryan requested for the fourth time Bryan’s bond be reduced from its current total of $500,000, claiming the amount Bryan is being held on is “exorbitant.”

“Your defendant is 83 years of age and in very poor health. His physical and mental faculties are failing,” Bryan’s attorneys wrote. “A motion for inpatient psychological evaluation was filed and granted one year ago, and yet no evaluation has taken place and the defendant is still awaiting that evaluation. Counsel has made a request for Taylor-Hardin Mental Health Facility to do an emergency evaluation on Ruepert Don Bryan, who himself is a physician, but no such evaluation has taken place.”

On Sept. 7, Circuit Court Judge William Bostick denied the bond reduction request after a hearing on the matter.