Man gets 60 years for sodomy

MOULTON - A judge has sentenced a 21-year-old Moulton man to 60 years in prison for sodomizing an 8-year-old girl.

Larry Gene Fretwell Jr., who lived at 97 Lawrence 466, was sentenced by Lawrence County Circuit Judge Mark Craig.

Fretwell was found guilty of first-degree sodomy during a three-day trial in March.

District Attorney Jim Osborn said that because Fretwell was found guilty of abusing a child younger than 12, the sentencing range is 20 years to life in prison.

Fretwell won't be eligible for parole because of the victim's age.

"He will have to serve every day," Osborn said. "When he completes the 60-year sentence, he must be on supervised probation for 10 years."

Osborn said the sentence is severe but justified.

"This as a serious case," he said. "The child will remember what happened for the rest of her life. Under the circumstances, the sentence is very appropriate."

Fretwell was arrested in June 2007 after an investigation by the Lawrence County Department of Human Resources and the sheriff's office.

Investigators said the incident was reported after the child, who is a family acquaintance of Fretwell's, experienced medical problems and doctors discovered she had suffered injuries.

"The child was questioned by her parents, and she told what happened and who was responsible," said Lawrence County investigator Capt. Tim McWhorter.

He said the attack occurred at Fretwell's residence when the child was spending the night.

During the trial, Fretwell admitted the incident happened, but claimed it was an accident and that the child initiated the physical contact.

Fretwell testified he was asleep and woke up with the young girl bouncing up and down on him. He said that forced him to accidentally have sexual contact with her.

McWhorter said the incident happened in May 2007.

Osborn said the child, who is now 10, is physically OK.

"But she got a life sentence with the memories that she will have to live with forever," he said.

County officials said Fretwell has been in the county jail since he was found guilty and is awaiting transfer to a state prison.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.