LINDEN &045; Former Demopolis police officer Terrence Lavelle Smith was indicted on three counts of rape II during the 17th Judicial Circuit Court’s February Grand Jury term.

Smith was arrested by the Marengo County Sheriff’s Department on Dec. 19 for the three charges. He was relieved of duty from the Demopolis Police Department the following day after an internal investigation by the department related to the charges found he had violated departmental procedures.

In a previous interview with The Times, Demopolis Public Safety Director Jeff Manuel said that a compliant was first sent to his office about the alleged actions of Smith. He said he sent the criminal investigation out of office, while he started his own internal investigation into possible violations of departmental procedures associated with the complaint.

Manuel said that the department began is internal investigation to resolve the issue for the police department separately for the criminal findings and in a more timely manner.

Following the indictments, Smith’s cases will move toward trial for the three charges of rape II, which is defined as sexual interaction with a minor between the ages of 13 and 16 by an adult.

In an earlier interview with The Times, Greg Griggers, district attorney for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court said rape II, a class B felony, can carry a sentence of two to 20 years of prison time. He said the worst-case scenario for a person convicted with three counts of a class B felony would be for the judge to stack the sentencing for 60 consecutive years, though in most cases judges call for them to run simultaneously.