Former Florence businessman who pleaded guilty to sex abuse charges released from jail

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) - A former businessman in Florence who pleaded guilty to sexual abuse charges involving multiple teenagers has been released from the Lauderdale County Detention Center.

According to WAFF’s newspaper partner, The Times Daily, Kelly Crotts, 48, was released from the Lauderdale County Detention Center. As part of his plea agreement in April, Crotts was ordered to serve one month in the detention center with another 11 months suspended for two years.

“He will have to fully comply with (the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act) which requires him to live in a location in compliance with SORNA and approved by the sheriff’s department,” said Lauderdale County District Attorney, Chris Connolly. “The community in which he lives will also be notified that he is a sex offender living in their community. Also, any employment he has must be approved by the sheriff’s office and must be in compliance with SORNA requirements.”

Crotts is ordered to report to the sheriff’s office monthly for the first year of his probation and then quarterly for the remainder of his life.

Documents filed in a civil court case claim the Cornerstone Church of Christ gave Crotts his power to commit the crimes. The following facts were stated in the civil court case filed against Crotts and the church:

• Crotts consistently and systematically ingratiated himself into the lives of the plaintiffs, slowly grooming them for his own salacious purposes.
• Crotts gave the plaintiffs gifts, special attention, recognition, and praise, all the while presenting himself as a spiritual leader and savvy entrepreneur.
• At various times Crotts exposed himself to the plaintiffs.
• Crotts enticed and manipulated the plaintiffs with various schemes and lies to expose themselves to him.
• Crotts, acting with sexual motivation, touched the genitals of Doe I and Doe II.
• Crotts enticed and manipulated Doe I and Doe II to perform sexual acts in his presence.
• Crotts performed sexual acts in front of Doe I and Doe
• At all times relevant to the acts of sexual abuse against the Plaintiffs, Crotts was employed and/or a leader within the church and had a position of authority and power over the plaintiffs as a result of that employment and/or leadership position.
• At all times relevant to the acts of sexual abuse, the plaintiffs’ well-being had been entrusted to the church by the parents of the plaintiffs.
• The plaintiffs have been permanently traumatized by the acts of Crotts and those who failed to act to protect them.
• Specifically, the plaintiffs have suffered intense anxiety, worry, sleeplessness, loss of focus, loss of direction, loss of motivation, alienation of affection for various relationships, humiliation, premature loss of childhood, and excruciatingly painful embarrassment.
• Crotts’s sexual abuse of children entrusted to the church dates back many years and was not limited to the plaintiffs.

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