A bisexual Alabama man and his male domestic partner are each being held on $1 million bond in a vile case of captivity and sexual torture involving his 9-year-old son.
State prosecutors in Huntsville, AL say they are “confident and satisfied” that Carl Philip Herold sexually tortured his son, kept the boy under constant surveillance, and used the child to produce child pornography.
Herold, 32, faces charges of producing child pornography, distributing child pornography, allowing his child to be depicted in pornography, sodomy, sexual abuse and aggravated child abuse. He is in the Madison County Jail and was before District Judge Alison Austin today on the state’s bond increase petition.
Austin issued a similar order Monday raising to $1 million the bond against Charles Dunnavant, identified as Herold’s domestic partner and suspected partner in the alleged crimes. Dunnavant faces charges including sexual torture, sodomy, aggravated child abuse and transmitting or exposing a person to a STD,
The judge told Herold Tuesday that “you do represent a threat and a risk of flight” as she raised the bonds on each of multiple charges against him to a total of $1 million cash. She ruled from the bench after a hearing that lasted just over 15 minutes and featured only one witness, Huntsville police investigator Chad Smith. The defense did not offer testimony.
Assistant DA Jason Scully-Clemmons said after the hearing Herold has the means to make $1 million bond and flee the state since his employer is paying his attorney’s fees.
Scully-Clemmons said Herold meets the requirements for a $1 million bond due to the fact that he has no ties to the community, and she described Herold as “a special kind of threat” to the community at large.
