ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — It’s not everyday that as victim of a crime comes in and can tell you exactly what happened.

And it’s not every day that you can nail a sex offender so that he pleads guilty and heads for jail, ensuring that he will be incarcerated for 15 years, and will have to register as a sex offender when he is finally released.

Most of the time the local police have to settle for the satisfaction of knowing a job was well done.

Not this time.

Chief Investigator Rex Bishop, Corporal Anthony Dobson, Officer Thomas Kiel, and Officer Justin Williams, were recognized by the United States Attorney General’s Office in Mobile for their handling of the Jerry Eugene Bates case. Bates was sentenced to 15 years for possession and production of child pornography.

According to Robertsdale police spokesman, Sgt. Rex Bishop the victims were related to Bates and the 17-year-old and another victim, 16-years-old, lived in Bates’ home.

The former Silverhill Avenue resident was arrested on charges of producing obscene matter containing a visual depiction of a person under 17 years of age. He had video equipment secreted in the girls’ bedrooms. He later pled guilty to the offense and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

“The victim and her parents came in,” said Cpl. Dobson in a telephone interview. “It was easy to find out who the equipment belonged to. We just had to prove it.”

Because the chain of evidence the Robertsdale police were able to generate was so strong, Dobson says there was no trial — the accused simply pled guilty.

Dobson stressed that the on-duty patrol officers were “instrumental” in making sure there was an tight case against Bates and should be given credit as well. He also said that the police received assistance from the Baldwin county District Attorney’s office and the United States District Attorney’s office.