By Carol Robinson
al.com
(TNS)
A Gadsden man has pleaded guilty in the sex abuse of four young girls in a case that rocked the community.
Paul Victor Yother, 44, was initially arrested in 2024 and later indicted on 156 crimes including sex abuse and possession of child pornography.
Yother, an accountant and father of two, pleaded guilty March 13 to four counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, and 11 counts of unlawful possession of obscene matter, according to court records made public Tuesday.
Yother was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation in July 2024 after a young girl initially reported abuse that had taken place while their families were together in Walton County, Florida.
Sheriff’s Investigator Brandi Fuller said multiple families, all of whom had daughters who played soccer together, were vacationing together when the victim told her parents that Yother had come into her room and touched her inappropriately.
Yother was confronted and admitted what had happened, Fuller said. He, his wife, a pediatrician, and their children left immediately and returned to Alabama.
Once all of the families were back in Etowah, more victims came forward.
“We ended up interviewing 28 kids that had been to the Yothers’ home and spent the night,‘’ Fuller said.
”We had a lot of the kids give us similar scenarios of what had happened but not enough for a charge.”
Four of the girls disclosed sexual abuse, for which Yother was charged.
Investigators carried out search warrants at Yother’s home, his parents’ home and a beach house.
A laptop found during one of the searches yielded a large amount of child pornography.
Some of the abuse, Fuller said, took place over a period of years.
Authorities said Yother is also charged in Florida.
The victims’ families released this statement to AL.com:
“The families of the victims would like to thank the following for helping to bring about justice and closure in this case and for allowing the healing process to begin: Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center in Niceville, Florida and Detective Miles Marthinsen; all of the heroes at The James M. Barrie Center for children in Gadsden, AL; Tiffany Smith and Etowah County Department of Human Resources; the Etowah County Sheriff’s office, particularly investigators Shannon Thomas and Brandi Fuller; and the Etowah County DA’s office, particularly DA Jody Willoughby, assistant DA Carol Griffith, and investigator Clark Thompson. We would like to thank our friends and families, the community of Gadsden, the Gadsden City School System, and multiple local churches, for their amazing and unwavering support. Lastly, we would like to thank the victims, who bravely and boldly came forward of their own accord and spoke the truth with courage and conviction. They put a calculating, patient, and devious predator behind bars for the rest of his life and saved countless other victims from his abuse.”
“We ask everyone to protect children, believe victims, and support their local child advocacy centers. We ask mandatory reporters to uphold their responsibility without exception. We pray for healing in a broken world.”
Attorneys Tommy Spina, Leslie Moore and Chad Hopper represented Yother.
“We want to express the profound remorse and contrition felt by our client, Paul Yother, who quickly accepted full responsibility for his actions that have harmed the lives of young victims, their families and the community of Gadsden, Alabama at large.
The crime of sexual abuse is a serious offense, and our client understands the pain and suffering inflicted upon his victims and their families.
Spina said complex mental health issues played a significant role Yother’s struggles with impulse control and understanding appropriate boundaries.
“While Alabama does not currently recognize diminished capacity as a valid defense or explanation or excuse for his inappropriate behavior in criminal cases,” Spina said, “we urge our state’s legislative body to consider the implications of this outdated legal framework. The current standard relating to mental health in criminal cases leaves little room for those who grapple with mental health challenges that, while not constituting insanity, still profoundly affect their actions.”
Photo caption: Paul Victor Yother (Carol Robinson/TNS)
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©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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Tags: accountants, guilty pleas, prison sentences
