Foster dad pleads guilty to child sex crimes in Lauderdale County

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) - One of the suspects in one of the worst child abuse cases ever for the Shoals has pleaded guilty.

The Lauderdale County district attorney’s office says Daniel Spurgeon has pleaded guilty to 14 charges. That includes 11 counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of rape of a child less than 12, and one count of sexual torture.

Spurgeon will spend 25 years behind bars without the possibility of parole.

He will have 10 years of supervised release after that and will have to register as a sex offender.

He still has Florida cases pending.

Angie Hamilton, assistant district attorney for Lauderdale County, called this one of the worst abuse cases ever for the county.

“Obviously, these are difficult cases and we consulted with the victims in these cases and we wanted to honor their wishes. They were satisfied with the sentence and they will be here to speak at sentencing on August 12 to give their victim impact, and we admire them for their strength throughout this process, they were ready to close this chapter and move on with the rest of their lives,” said Hamilton. “This is a significant sentence and keeps the victims from being revictimized by reliving their abuse”

His wife, Jenise Spurgeon, is set for trial in October.

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