By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

A 67 year-old Birmingham man is in jail on a $100,000 bond after he was indicted by a grand jury on a felony child sex abuse charge in October.

Morgan Blackerby, who previously listed an address on Lee Street Drive in North Shelby, was arrested on Nov. 6 for felony first-degree sodomy of a child younger than 12.

According to Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Debbie Sumrall, the charge stemmed from alleged sexual abuse at a Maylene residence in February 2013. Blackerby is a relative of the child victim.

“The family confronted (Blackerby) about it… he left the area where the crime occurred in Maylene,” Sumrall said. “They thought they would never hear from him again.”

The family originally did not report the alleged abuse in February 2013. The case was brought to the SCSO by the Department of Human Resources on Aug. 18.

“Our investigator immediately got involved and did an interview (with the victim) at Owens House,” Sumrall said. “He presented the case to the grand jury… and the grand jury issued an indictment.”

According to the Oct. 9 indictment, Blackerby allegedly engaged in “deviate sexual intercourse” with the child victim in February 2013, resulting in the first-degree sodomy charge.

Blackerby was arrested and placed in the Shelby County Jail on Nov. 6. He is scheduled for arraignment in front of Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Dan Reeves on Dec. 1 at 8:30 a.m.

First-degree sodomy is a Class A felony. Blackerby could face up to life in prison if convicted.