BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. (TCN) — A 57-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and rape of a 10-year-old girl he knew through her stepfather.
On March 10, 2024, a family reported their daughter missing, WBRC reports. Multiple agencies searched for the girl. She was found inside the home of Johnny Chandler, who was taken into custody. He confessed that he had taken the girl from outside her family’s house and then raped her inside his residence.
When law enforcement arrived to search the home because her cellphone — which Chandler had given her as a gift — had pinged there, he told her to hide inside a hole in the basement stairwell. She was not found during the first search of the home, according to WBRC.
Authorities then executed a search warrant and the hole in the basement stairwell was discovered hidden behind a space heater. Inside the hole was bedding and a stuffed animal, according to WBRC. The victim testified in court that she knew Chandler through her stepfather and that Chandler had bought her gifts such as her cellphone. In addition, his DNA was found on her clothes.
WBMA reports that the Chandler had a grandfather-like relationship with the victim’s family.
According to District Attorney Pamela Casey, “This case is one of the most disturbing we have seen. … A 10-year-old child was taken and concealed inside a wall in a residence. The level of planning, concealment, and abuse involved in this case is difficult to comprehend. Chandler has forfeited his place in a free society,” per WBRC.
In April, Chandler was convicted of first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, two counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, and obstructing governmental operations, per WBRC. According to the outlet, he was sentenced to life in prison on July 14.
While investigating the case, detectives also discovered that Chandler was allegedly involved in another trafficking case and sex crimes against children, per WBRC. He is facing additional charges.
Casey said of Chandler’s sentence, “It’s my desire that he die in prison. He should never have access to other children.”
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