HSI Special Agent Charged with Child Rape in Alabama

Special Agent Kent Blacklidge, 43, was indicted on first- and second-degree rape, sodomy and sexual abuse. He turned himself in to the Baldwin County jail on September 5 and is being held on a grand-jury indictment. The indictment stems from a child-sexual-abuse report filed on January 11 involving an under-age girl, according to Spanish Fort police.

The Guardian

Blacklidge served with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). HSI placed him on administrative leave as soon as the investigation began.

The Guardian

Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber praised the victim’s courage and said the charges should not reflect on the broader law-enforcement community. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called the allegations “profoundly disappointing” given Blacklidge’s role in child-exploitation cases and emphasized that the law must be applied regardless of position. Marshall noted that the attorney-general’s office is handling the case because Blacklidge is a witness in other prosecutions, requiring the local district attorney to recuse itself. The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment. DHS has faced scrutiny over employee vetting after receiving $170 billion in immigration-related funding, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has seen at least two dozen personnel charged with crimes since 2020.

The Guardian

Marshall said a bond exceeding $350,000 was set. Upon release, Blacklidge must wear an electronic monitor, remain confined to his home, and avoid contact with the victim or any person under 18. Facility records confirm he was released on bond pending trial.

The Guardian

• “It takes an unbelievable amount of courage and strength for a victim of these types of crime to come forward,” — John Barber, fort police chief — John Barber, Spanish Fort police chief

The Guardian