Decatur Man Jailed on Abuse Charges

A Decatur man remains in custody after being denied pretrial release amid serious child sexual abuse allegations. Prosecutors say Alan D. Whitcomb, 45, faces three charges related to distributing explicit images of girls under 13 and is considered a potential danger to a young girl in his acquaintance. Investigators allege Whitcomb used Russian-based file-sharing services under an alias to trade child pornography and discussed disturbing topics with international contacts. Although his defense argued he has no prior record and poses minimal risk, the judge cited the scale of evidence—336 images found on his phone—as grounds for continued detention. Whitcomb’s next hearing is set for March 4.