By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – A woman facing an alleged charge of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old has now been indicted by a Shelby County grand jury after the court returned the one count indictment.

The grand jury returned the indictment against Charlotte Delline Moore, 40, during its September session, upholding one count of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old.

Moore was arrested by The Helena Police Department on March 29 after the alleged incident occurred on Wednesday, March 28, when the Helena Police Department responded to the 2900 block of Dublin Drive on a report of sexual abuse. Once on the scene, they were informed that a white female had approached a juvenile white male under the age of 12 and touched him inappropriately while conversing with him.

Helena Police officers began looking for the white female described and located Moore. Moore matched the description of the suspect and was identified as the person who committed the offense. Moore was arrested and placed in Helena City Jail to await transport to Shelby County Jail.

On June 7, the charge of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 was bound over to a grand jury after a preliminary hearing.

According to court documents, on June 18, Moore filed a handwritten blind plea motion in an effort to remove the motion for the case to be bound over to a grand jury.

On June 21, Shelby County District Court Judge Daniel Crowson denied the motion for the blind plea as the case remained bound over to a grand jury.

Moore remains in the Shelby County Jail with a bond of $30,000.

Sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 is a Class B felony and Moore could face up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.