Kent Blacklidge, a 43-year-old HSI special agent, surrendered Sept. 5 after a grand jury indicted him on charges including first- and second-degree rape, sodomy and sexual abuse tied to a Jan. 11 report involving a minor. HSI placed Blacklidge on administrative leave once investigators opened the inquiry, and Alabama's attorney general is prosecuting because the local DA recused itself. Bond was reportedly set above $350,000; release conditions include electronic monitoring, home confinement and no contact with minors. DHS did not immediately comment.
HSI Special Agent Indicted on Child Rape Charges in Alabama; Bond Reportedly Above $350,000
Blacklidge was described as a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations.Photograph: Aaron M Sprecher/Getty Images
Kent Blacklidge, a 43-year-old special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), surrendered to the Baldwin County Jail on Sept. 5 after a grand jury returned an indictment charging him with first- and second-degree rape, sodomy and sexual abuse in a case involving a minor, authorities said.
Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber said the charges stem from a child sexual abuse report filed on Jan. 11 and that HSI placed Blacklidge on administrative leave as soon as investigators opened their inquiry. Officers conducted interviews and collected evidence, though Barber declined to release detailed case specifics at the time.
"It takes an unbelievable amount of courage and strength for a victim of these types of crime to come forward," Barber said. "And I commend our victim for having that resolve."
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall described the allegations as particularly disturbing because Blacklidge had worked on child exploitation cases and training to help detect online predators. Marshall said his office is prosecuting the case because the local district attorney's office recused itself; Blacklidge is reportedly a witness in other local prosecutions.
Marshall added, "It is our responsibility to follow the facts and apply the law regardless of what you've done, regardless of where you work and regardless of who you are." Both Barber and Marshall urged the public not to view the allegations as representative of law enforcement broadly.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees HSI, did not immediately comment. DHS has faced increased scrutiny over vetting and personnel practices after receiving expanded funding for immigration and border enforcement; a February Associated Press report said ICE had seen at least two dozen employees or contractors charged with crimes since 2020.
Records indicate Blacklidge was released on bond pending trial. Remarks from Marshall indicated the bond was set at more than $350,000. Conditions of release reportedly include electronic monitoring, home confinement and an order prohibiting contact with the alleged victim or any person under 18.
A message left at a phone number associated with Blacklidge was not immediately returned. The case remains under investigation and the indictment is an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Help us improve.
