By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 34-year-old Maylene man is being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $45,000 after Alabaster police arrested him and charged him with felony counts of first-degree sodomy and sexual abuse of a child younger than 12.

Alabaster police arrested Carlos Edward Giron-Orantes on Sept. 29 and charged him with the two crimes after officers responded to a report of sexual abuse involving a child younger than 12 and investigating the case.

First-degree sodomy is a Class A felony, and is punishable by up to life in prison upon conviction. Sexual abuse of a child is a Class B felony, and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction.

According to Giron-Orantes’ arrest warrants, he allegedly forced the victim to perform sex acts on him and engaged in deviate sexual intercourse with the victim between Dec. 1, 2017, and Sept. 26 of this year.

“The Alabaster Police Department works extremely hard to protect children and seek justice on their behalf,” APD Det. Paul Johnson wrote in a statement. If you have any information that will assist law enforcement in this case, please contact the Alabaster Police Department.”

The case remains under investigation by the APD. Anyone with information concerning the case is encouraged to contact the APD Criminal Investigation Division at 664-6850 or 663-7401.