“A staff attorney for Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has been arrested on a child solicitation and was immediately fired. Chase Tristian Espy, 36, is charged with child solicitation by computer/electronic solicitation of a child, which is a Class B felony. Espy, a Birmingham attorney and former deputy general counsel in the Office of Governor, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 9:28 p.m. Wednesday, according to jail records. The Vestavia Hills resident was released from lockup at 1:56 a.m. Thursday after posting $30,000 bond” AL.com reports.
“Efforts to reach Espy for comment weren’t immediately successful. Homewood police Sgt. John Carr confirmed the department’s Special Investigations Unit arrested Espy. No additional information was released, but Carr said the operation is part of an ongoing effort by the Homewood Police Department to combat crimes involving the exploitation of children. Ivey’s office confirmed Espy was fired Thursday morning and released this statement to AL.com on Thursday: ‘The allegations against Mr. Espy are serious, tragic and shocking. While he was employed by our office for only a few months, Mr. Espy has been terminated. As this is an ongoing investigation, no further information is available at this time.'”