Pickens County Deputy And Northport Firefighter James Long Reed Charged With Stalking

An Alabama lawman with two badges is now facing three felony charges — and one of the departments that employed him isn’t saying much about it.

James Long Reed, 47, worked as a Pickens County sheriff’s deputy. He also worked as a firefighter for the City of Northport. Both jobs, both badges — until September 16, when Alabama State Bureau of Investigation agents took him into custody at the Pickens County Jail just before 4:30 p.m.

The charges: one count of first-degree voyeurism and two counts of first-degree electronic stalking. Court records show one female victim.

The case started when the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office handed it straight to state investigators — an outside agency handling one of its own. Sheriff Jordan Powell then relieved Reed of his duties, issuing a statement that stands out for how plainly it reads: “our badge does not place us above the law.”

Two Departments, Few Answers

Reed was initially held without bond. On Friday, a judge set bond at $100,000. Reed posted it and walked out of the jail the same day.

A no-contact order protects the victim. No next court hearing appears in public records yet.

What neither department has answered: how long the alleged conduct went on, whether it happened while Reed was on duty, and how a man managed to hold down two public-safety jobs at the same time while under investigation by neither of them.

Northport Fire has not publicly said whether Reed remains employed. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has not said whether it will pursue termination on top of the criminal case.

What The Charges Actually Mean

First-degree voyeurism in Alabama involves observing or recording someone in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. First-degree electronic stalking requires a pattern of conduct that would cause a reasonable person substantial emotional distress — and it’s a felony when committed with a prior offense or under specific aggravating factors.

Each of the three counts carries real prison exposure. And a conviction on any of them ends a law enforcement career permanently — Alabama officers lose certification upon felony conviction.

Reed is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The charges are allegations at this stage — but three felonies against a serving deputy who also fought fires for a city is a story both departments would probably prefer had stayed quiet.

Oh Dang Really will follow this case as it moves through the courts.

Sources

1. Patch (Tuscaloosa): Pickens County Deputy Arrested, Relieved Of Duties Following SBI Investigation
2. AL.com: Alabama deputy sheriff arrested on voyeurism, electronic stalking charges
3. WSOC TV: Alabama deputy accused of voyeurism, electronic stalking