A 35-year-old Alabama man has been sentenced to 615 years in prison on multiple counts of the sexual abuse and rape of children.
Raven Nathaniel Smith from Cottonwood, Alabama was sentenced by Houston County Circuit Judge Todd Derrick to 615 years in prison on July 10 on several sex crime related counts: one count of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of first-degree rape, two counts of second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree sodomy, and 13 counts of second-degree sexual abuse, according to court documents obtained by the Dothan Eagle.
The abuse had been going on at least since 2011 and involved girls from 12 to 16 years old. Smith entered a plea deal in May 2018.
Smith apologized to the families for the of the five abused girls he stood trial for, but the mother of one victim said she believes he abused many more children.
The mother of one of the teens gave an emotional appeal in court, following which Judge Derrick handed down the maximum possible punishment. And because of the way Derrick structured the sentence, it is practically impossible for Smith to ever make it out of prison alive.
“I can’t believe what I said meant that much to a judge to punish this man the way I wanted him to be [punished],” the mother, whose identity has not been revealed for privacy reasons, said.
Prosecutor JT Jones had difficulties holding back tears when he described Smith’s crimes to the judge.
“When you deal with cases that involve children, particularly young children, it’s going to hit your heartstrings every time. You get to know them, and you feel the pain they go through,” Jones told WTVY.
Many people took to Facebook and other social media to voice their support for Judge Derrick’s decision to sentence Smith for the maximum possible, but many others weren’t satisfied.
One Facebook user, Rudolph Yanz, said: “No one lives that long. What a joke our system is. If you MEANT life when you gave that sentence, it would mean just that. and how pathetic that we have the amount of prisoners we do when we could simply hand out death sentences like Halloween candy.”
Ronald D Smith said: “Glad he got the sentence, now follow through with it. He showed no sympathy when he did what he did so as what Darlene said I’m sure there are some big boys waiting to pay him back.”
Juanita Corbett said: “It’s time they sentence them for life. Those kids are sentence to life as well how can they ever forget. To tell you the true they should kill them right away also the people that kill Cops what good are they?”
The mother who spoke out in court believes there are many more victims who were too afraid to step forward.
“I don’t want them to be afraid anymore. I want them to know he’s in jail and can’t ever hurt them or anyone else,” she said.
Defense attorney TJ Haywood did not comment on the case but is considering filing an appeal on behalf of Smith, according to the Dothan Eagle.
