Man out on bond for raping children in Mobile County now faces charges in East Brewton
East Brewton Police Chief Kenny Brazille said he has filed warrants against Branden Lee Howell for rape II and sodomy I against a child under the age of 15 while Howell awaits trial in Mobile on 11 counts of sex crimes against children.
Records show Howell was arrested in Mobile County in 2019 and charged with two counts of sexual abuse, two counts of rape I, six counts of sodomy I and one count of sexual torture.
Howell was released on bond in Mobile County and didn’t show up for his trial date in 2023 and warrants were issued again for failure to appear.
Brazille said Howell came to East Brewton, where his mother lives, and is now a suspect in sexually abusing another juvenile in East Brewton.
Brazille said in March, bounty hunters located Howell at Howell’s mother’s house in East Brewton and transported him back to Mobile County. Brazille said Howell had been a suspect in the sex cases in East Brewton for more than a year. He added he went to Mobile in March to interview Howell, but said Howell refused to talk. Brazille then got the warrants charging Howell with the sex crimes in East Brewton.
“We want to make sure he doesn’t have the opportunity to abuse any more people,” Brazille said.
Brazille said this week that as far as he knows there is only one victim in East Brewton but he is asking people who have information about Howell’s activities in East Brewton to contact the police department at 251-867-4864.
