Man Arrested For Sexually Abusing 2 Children Under Age Of 12: Police

A 29-year-old man in Iowa was arrested by Davenport police Friday for allegedly sexually abusing two children under the age of 12.

The suspect, identified as Alex James Ayers, of Davenport, is facing two counts of second-degree sexual abuse for alleged incidents that occurred in what police termed “prior years,” the Quad-City Times reported.

Each of the charges that Ayers is facing is considered a class B felony and carries a prison sentence of 25 years.

On Nov. 14, 2021, Davenport police received a report of sexual abuse that had occurred in prior years to two unnamed children, according to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Detective Sean Johnson.

The statute of limitations in the state for sexual abuse of children in the first, second or third degree was removed last year after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law SF 562 in May 2021.

Under Iowa law, an indictment may be brought any time after the commission of the offense.

Before the bill was passed, the statute of limitations for sex offenses against minors was 15 years after the alleged victim turns 18 years of age, or 3 years after the offender is identified through DNA evidence, whichever is later.

As of Friday, Ayers was being held without bond in the Scott County Jail. He is due to make his first court appearance Saturday in Scott County District Court.

In related news, a former teacher for the Davenport and Rock Island-Milan school districts and one-time candidate for the Bettendorf school board was jailed earlier this month for the rape of a child, according to another report from Quad-City Times.

Staff Sgt. Gary L. Goins, 40, was convicted by a military judge of multiple charges, pursuant to a plea, during a general court martial at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Goins was convicted of one count of sexual assault of a child between the ages of 12 and 15, three counts of sexual abuse of a child involving sexual contact and one count of sexual abuse of a child involving indecent communication.

Military records said Goins sexually assaulted a child between the ages of 12 and 15 on or about Dec. 24, 2020, while he was serving.

He was sentenced to 42 months of confinement. In addition, his rank was reduced from E-6 to E-1, and he is to be dishonorably discharged from the service.

"It's a huge reduction in rank — a huge demotion. It's taking your whole career away," Capt. Perianne Duffy, of the public affairs office at Fort Bragg, said of the additional military disciplinary action.