Attalla man convicted of sexual abuse of child

Christopher Allan Elkins

A marshall County jury found 35 year old Christopher Allan Elkins of Attalla

guilty of sexual abuse of a child under 12 years of age.

Jurors deliberated about 15 minutes before finding Elkins guilty. The state called four witnesses, including the 8-year-old girl Elkins was charged with abusing in the summer of 2012, when she was just 5 years old.

The girl testified that Elkins, who was a friend of the family, had abused her more than 20 times.

Sentencing for Elkins is set for Sept. 28. The sentencing range is a mandatory 10 years to 20 years in prison.

Because it was a sex crime against a child, Prosecutors say Elkins will be subject to a day-for-day sentence: he cannot be given parole; he cannot be given prison incentives to shorten his sentence; and he cannot be placed on probation.