‘Real and present danger’: Judge denies bond of University of Alabama student charged with rape
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — A former University of Alabama student charged with rape and other sex crimes has been denied bond on the grounds that the safety of his alleged victim could not be reasonably assured if he were released.
On Monday, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office revealed that its Violent Crimes Unit has been investigating a female UA student’s report of a sexual assault for the last several weeks.
The student told investigators that after meeting an acquaintance at a local bar, she awoke the next morning with no memory and feared that she had been assaulted.
On July 25, 23-year-old Gambill Gentry, another University of Alabama student, was arrested and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and multiple counts of first-degree voyeurism.
During a Tuesday bond hearing, the State presented testimony of “clear and convincing” evidence that Gentry had assaulted the victim.
That evidence comes in the form of:
– Videos – Photographs – Text messages – Google Searches – Forensics
One video of the alleged assault was reportedly sent to a friend of the victim, according to court documents. Those same documents state that images of the victim taken during the timeframe of the assault and found by police during a search of Gentry’s phone contained the text “easy rape tn.”
The state also presented testimony that, despite being asked not to, Gentry had traveled to New York to visit the victim and had repeatedly threatened and harassed her.
Based on this alleged pattern of behavior as well as the severity of the charges and the possible sentences connected to them, District Judge Joanne Jannik denied Gentry’s request for bond stating that his release “could pose a real and present danger to others, as well as create the possibility of flight.”
Gentry waived his right to a preliminary hearing. His case has been forwarded to a grand jury.
The Violent Crimes Unit believes that Gentry may have assaulted others based on evidence collected during the investigation. Anyone who may have been a victim is encouraged to reach out at 205-464-8690.
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