A Jefferson man was arrested by the Demopolis Police Department Friday and charged in the rape of a minor.
Yahudah Israel, 51, of Demopolis, was arrested yesterday following a grand jury indictment on charges of Rape First Degree and Rape Second Degree.
A male commits the crime of rape in the first degree if: 1. He engages in sexual intercourse with a female by forcible compulsion; or 2. He engages in sexual intercourse with a female who is incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated; or 3. He, being 16 years or older, engages in sexual intercourse with a female who is less than 12 years old.
Rape in the first degree is a Class A felony.
A male commits the crime of rape in the second degree if:
1. Being 16 years old or older, he engages in sexual intercourse with a female less than 16 and more than 12 years old; provided, however, the actor is at least two years older than the female. 2. He engages in sexual intercourse with a female who is incapable of consent by reason of being mentally defective.
Rape in the second degree is a Class B felony.
Israel, who served as a minister of an independent church in Jefferson, remains in the Marengo County jail pending a $25,000 bond on each count.
Demopolis police chief Tommie Reese said the arrest was the culmination of nearly a year-long investigation by the department.
The victim’s name was not released to to her age and the newspaper’s policy of not reporting the names of the victims of sex crimes.