A Red Oak man was jailed Thursday by the Florala Police Department on charges of indecent exposure after he allegedly sexually abused a girl under the age of 12.

David Alford Jr., 48, was arrested after police received a complaint of alleged child abuse that occurred inside the city limits of Florala, Chief Chris Jackson said.

“Shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday, the FPD, with the Covington County Sheriff’s Office investigators and the Lockhart Police Department executed a search warrant on a residence in the Red Oak Community for the purpose of obtaining evidence in a child abuse case that originated in the city of Florala,” Jackson said.

While Jackson declined to comment on circumstances surrounding the case “as it is still ongoing,” he did confirm that evidence was found inside the residence that “substantiated one of the victim’s claims.”

Jackson said the victim was interviewed at the Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center in Dothan where they specialize in child crimes, both abuse and sexual abuse, and since Alford resided inside outside the city limits of Florala and inside the county’s jurisdiction, CCSO investigators and deputies assisted his department in executing the search warrant on Alford’s residence.

“During that same time frame, Florala patrol officer Kirk Dusek was able to take Alford into custody,” Jackson said. “Alford is charged with two counts of indecent exposure, which under Alabama law constitutes a sex crime.”

Additionally, Drug Task Force agents were called to the scene to recover drug evidence found inside Alford’s home.

Alford was transported to the Covington County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond; however, he is also being held without bond on animal cruelty charges from the state of Florida.

The case against Alford is still ongoing and additional charges may be brought against him, Jackson said.

“Our citizens in Florala expect and deserve professional police work,” Jackson said. “We will not tolerate abuse or sexual abuse of any type in our community and we will seek out and prosecute anyone who puts our citizens at risk.”