MARION COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Arrests made on separate child sexual abuse cases 

• Each held on $100,000 bond; sheriff urges public to help by giving tips

                Giddy                                       Kennedy                             Burrow

Article contributed by The Journal Record

By ED HOWELL

Staff Writer

HAMILTON  - Two men were recently arrested on separate child sex abuse cases in Marion County and are being held at the Marion County Jail in Hamilton on $100,000 bond, sheriff Kevin Williams said on Wednesday, Sept. 9. 

Michael Giddy, 42, Brilliant, was arrested on Sept. 4, while Kody Kennedy, 19, Bear Creek, was arrested on Sept. 7, Williams said. Both were charged with first-degree sexual abuse involving a child less than 12 years of age. Both were arrested by deputies without incident and both remained in jail as of Sept. 9. 

The two men’s cases were unrelated and occurred at different locations and times, Williams said. 

In both cases, the children involved were in good physical condition and are back with their parents, he said. 

A Bear Creek child was involved in Kennedy’s case, which occurred at a Bear Creek residence in the course of one incident on Sept. 7, Williams said. The arrest was made at 5:24 p.m. that day at the residence after the sheriff’s department received a call. 

Kennedy was an acquaintance of the family and was left alone with the child, Williams said. 

Giddy’s case involved the same child in three different incidents this calendar year, he said. All occurred at a residence in the Twin area with a Brilliant address. Giddy is a family member related to the child. 

The investigation was begun by the Marion County Department of Human Resources after officials there received an anonymous tip. An investigator with the sheriff’s department was called to the DHR office in Hamilton on Sept. 4, where the arrest was made that afternoon, Williams said. 

“This is a problem we have in Marion County. We deal with quite a few of these type cases," Williams said, saying the high bond amount is because the charge is so serious as they involve children under age 12.

“We do have quite a few of these cases come through our circuit," he said. “It’s a sad situation that we have these in our county, but we do.”

Williams said his office works well with DHR, which investigates many of the cases, sometimes using investigators from his office and other local and state law enforcement agencies. 

“They get initial reports a lot of times and then they will notify us," he said. “We all try to work together."

In many cases, investigators find no evidence to back up the accusations--although in some cases they do, he said, noting most of the tips that come in on these cases are anonymous. 

If anyone has any suspicions or knowledge of sexual child abuse, they can turn in an anonymous tip by calling DHR at 921-6000. They may also call the sheriff’s department at 921-7433 at the county jail or 921-2101 at the courthouse office.

Also, on the afternoon of Sept. 9, Williams said that Michael Burrow, 52, Birmingham, was arrested on a grand jury indictment that day involving first-degree sexual abuse for a child less than 12 years of age. He was still being held at the county jail that day under a $35,000 bond. Other details of the case were not available at presstime. 

(When a defendant is charged with a crime, the charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.)