Former Alabama deputy indicted for on-duty kidnapping, sexual assault

A former Alabama sheriff’s deputy is accused of sexual assault and kidnapping while on duty two years ago, prosecutors said.

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In a news release on Friday, the Department of Justice said that Joshua Matthew Davidson, 32, was charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, kidnapping and witness tampering. He is also charged with making a misleading statement to investigators regarding his conduct.

Davidson, who was a deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman in his custody during his on-duty shift on Jan. 30, 2020, WFSA-TV reported.

The alleged incident occurred in Selma, according to AL.com.

Davidson pleaded not guilty during his arraignment this week, according to the news outlet.

The former deputy also was arrested on state charges involving the same incident, AL.com reported. Davidson was indicted in Dallas County in June 2020 on charges of first-degree sodomy, first-degree human trafficking and second-degree kidnapping, according to AL.com.

According to a news release, Davidson was arrested in Hampton, New Hampshire, on July 10, 2020, by U.S. Marshals and extradited to Alabama. He was released after posting $500,000 bail, WFSA reported.

Davidson resigned as a deputy after his arrest.

A trial for the federal charges is tentatively set for December, and a state trial is set for May, AL.com reported.

If convicted of the federal crimes, Davidson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said in the news release.

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