Birmingham firefighter resigns after facing obscenity charges in Hoover

A Birmingham firefighter accused of showing an obscene photo to two young girls and two women in Hoover in recent months resigned from the Birmingham Fire Department today, fire Capt. Harold Watson said.

Kevin Dewayne Turpin, who had been a Birmingham firefighter and emergency medical technician since 2014, caught fire officials off guard with his resignation this morning, Watson said.

Turpin, who worked at Birmingham Fire Station No. 3 on Highland Avenue, had informed the department about the charges against him in Hoover, and the department was planning to take any disciplinary action based on the outcome of the criminal proceedings in Hoover Municipal Court, Watson said.

The department had no idea he would do such things, if the accusations against him are indeed true, Watson said.

“He was a great firefighter,” Watson said. “It’s a great misfortune.”

Hoover police said that, on Nov. 14, they received a report of a man walking up to a vehicle in the parking lot of the Dollar General at 2144 Tyler Road and showing an obscene photograph on his cell phone to two girls younger than 10 years old who were sitting inside the vehicle. He then left the area, police Lt. Keith Czeskleba said.

Upon further investigation, police learned the same man had shown an obscene photograph to two women inside the Dollar General store. All the incidents occurred near the end of October and first part of November, Czeskleba said.

Police identified Turpin as their suspect and charged him with four counts of disseminating obscene material. Turpin turned himself into Hoover police Wednesday.

He was released Wednesday into the custody of Midfield police because he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest on an indecent exposure charge from several years ago in Midfield, police in Midfield said. Turpin was released upon paying bond in Midfield.