Former Huntsville foster parent sentenced following sex crime convictions

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - A Huntsville foster parent was sentenced Thursday on six sex crime charges.

Patrick Streeter was sentenced to 40 years for count 1 (sodomy), count 2 (sodomy), count 4 (sexual torture), and count 6 (sodomy).

He was sentenced to 20 years for counts 3 and 5 (foster parent engaging in a sex act with a foster child).

The sentences will run concurrently.

Streeter was charged with sexually abusing at least two children while they lived with him between 2018 and 2021. He was found guilty of the charges against him in May.

At Thursday’s sentencing Streeter was very emotional throughout the testimony.

He broke down in tears as prosecutors explained why he should go to prison for the rest of his life, and as his mother said she’s still proud of him, despite everything.

The defense argued that Streeter had no prior run-ins with the law, but the judge said he never recognized the wrongs he committed because he kept doing them.

Streeter is also a former minister at a Baptist church in Huntsville. Investigators do not believe any of his crimes happened at the church.

One church member told the judge that they believed Streeter was a helpful, gentle, kind, and spiritual young man.

Prosecutors said he put himself in positions where parents and children would trust him and he chose to prey on vulnerable children who depended on him.

The Intervention and Clinical Director at the National Children’s Advocacy center, Erica Hochberger said there are red flags to look for in adults who are around your kids consistently.

“Are they finding a reason to be alone with a child, maybe before or after all the other kids are around are they texting or messaging them individually are they doing things to make them seem very special,” Hochberger said.

She adds if you see those red flags or just have a gut feeling about how an adult is acting towards a child to report it no matter what.

“I think we all have to decide you know if there’s a vulnerable person am I going to protect the child or am I going to protect the adult and the child always has to be protected,” Hochberger said.

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