For more than two years, Leonard Lashawn Hixon had vowed to anyone who would listen that he was not guilty of charges he improperly touched a 15-year-old Atmore boy while they were at a Mobile residence.

Last Tuesday, a Mobile County jury validated his contention.

The 12-member panel found after a two-day trial that Hixon, who had been charged with first-degree and second-degree sexual abuse of a child under 16, was guilty of neither charge. Mobile County Circuit Judge Vicki M. Davis signed an Order of Acquittal on September 16 to officially put the matter to rest.

Hixon, a minister at The Christ Temple Church-The House of Prayer in Atmore when he was arrested in 2023, said he’s just glad the ordeal is over, although he admitted it will cast a long shadow behind him for the rest of his life.

“It’s been a long 2-1/2 years,” he said. “To be honest, I just put it in God’s hands. Sure, it hurt my reputation and put a stigma on my name, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Hixon, who faced a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison had he been convicted, said he harbors no ill will toward his accusers.

“I forgive them, but this all could have been prevented,” he said.

Atmore Attorney Karean Reynolds, who defended the accused minister, said his client was offered a plea deal prior to trial.

“They offered him a deal where he would plead guilty to sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor,” the attorney said. “But he would have still had to register as a sex offender, so he wanted to take his chances with a jury. Based on the evidence I saw, he had a good chance, so we went to trial.”

Hixon, who has earned certification as a medical assistant from Remington College while awaiting his fate in court, had no idea he had been charged with any crime until a quirk led to his being taken into custody.

“I didn’t know there was a warrant out for me,” he said. “I was in Bay Minette, working for a medical services company, and I was driving a company van. It had an expired tag, and I got pulled over. That’s how I found out there was a warrant against me.”

He said he has remained active in the church, and the congregation has been for the most part supportive of him.

“Just about everybody at the church was on my side,” he said.

Reynolds was pleased with the outcome, although he said he wished his client hadn’t had to suffer such a period of tribulation.

“I’m glad this case has been resolved with a favorable outcome for my client,” Reynolds said. “It was an unfortunate situation, but now Lashawn can get on with his life.”