Gadsden businessman pleads guilty to aggrivated child abuse and computer crimes

Bryan Keith McDaniel

A Gadsden businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to two very different crimes, and will serve a 10-year and a 20-year sentence concurrently.  Bryan Keith McDaniel pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse and violation of the state computer crime act.

McDaniel, owner of Shoe Sanctuary on Broad Street, won't go to prison.

He was sentenced to 20 years for the child abuse case and 10 for the computer crime violation, and will report to community corrections. 

McDaniel is a state inmate, and must comply with strict requirements, including a ban on unsupervised contact with children and a ban on any contact with his victims.

Aggravated child abuse is a Class B felony. McDaniel received the maximum sentence for that offense, in a settlement that was requested and approved by the victims in the case.  McDaniel admitted his guilt during the plea in Judge Allen Millican's chambers.

The computer crime McDaniel pleaded guilty to came during his employment at Hicks Family Shoes. Heather Hicks Copeland said the admission of guilt was important to her family, too.

Copeland said the crime involved deleting the store's Facebook page and other interference with business accounts. She said it virtually shut the owners out of their business and cost the business financially.