Gadsden man sentenced in sex abuse case

Timothy Derwood Williams

A 52 year old Gadsden man was given a 10-year split sentence Wednesday in the 2008 abuse of a 12 year old girl. Circuit Judge William Rhea handed down the sentence after Timothy Derwood Williams, pleaded guilty on Jan. 28 to first- and second-degree sexual abuse. He will serve three years of his sentence in prison for the first count and has another sentence of 12 months that he will serve at the same time. Rhea also gave him five years of supervised probation. Williams was a friend of the victim's family and molested her several times. At first, he began in his personal vehicle and other times he would send the victim's siblings away and he would abuse her then.A report at the time of his arrest stated that the incident involving the 12-year-old girl happened in 2008 and was brought to the attention of the Etowah County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 26, 2010, by a family member.At the time of the incident, Williams drove his own vehicle and would pick up children and take them to and from church.