A former Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) employee and former aid to Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is facing charges of sexual abuse of a child under 12.
Marty Decole "Cole" Wagner was indicted by a Montgomery County Grand Jury on June 30. Wagner was booked into Montgomery County Jail on July 19 and released on a $60,000 bond the following day.
According to the arrest warrant, Wagner is accused of subjecting a person under 12, identified only by their initials, to sexual contact. If convicted of the Class B felony, putting Wagner at risk of up to 20 years in prison.
After leaving the state house as a Senate liaison under Ainsworth, Wagner began working in government relations in February. Before working for Ainsworth, Wagner worked at Cygnal polling and as the executive director of Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama.
According to Wagner's LinkedIn, he worked in Ainsworth's office for over three years. During that time, he received frequent praise from Ainsworth, who called him a "whiz kid" and a "very bright, young guy."
I am proud of my staff and their hard work serving the people of Alabama. We survived the legislative session and were happy to welcome Charlsi Lee to our staff this morning. We look forward to getting back to work making our state better and appreciate the opportunity to do so. pic.twitter.com/7Dwzh7DDUl
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) May 18, 2021
Wagner was immediately fired from his ALSDE position after his arrest.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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