75-year-old Hoover man charged with sodomy, sexual abuse of child

A 75-year-old Hoover man has been charged with sodomy and sexual abuse after police received a report that he had deviant sexual intercourse with a female family member under the age of 12.

Hoover police say they received the report at 1 a.m. Friday and immediately responded to the scene, launched an investigation by the special victims unit and took the suspect, identified as John Wilbanks Jr., into custody.

Detectives and advocacy center employees worked the case throughout the day, examining evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, and a second victim was discovered, police Capt. Gregg Rector said in a news release.

Wilbanks on late Friday afternoon was charged with first-degree sodomy by forcible compulsion, first-degree sodomy with a victim less than 12 years old and sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old. He was released from the Jefferson County Jail in Bessemer Saturday morning on bonds totaling $150,000.

Rector said this is an ongoing investigation, and police ask anyone with information about this case or the suspect to call special victims unit Detective Brandon Harris at 205-444-7742.