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A member of the U.S. Air Force has been arrested on a charge of sexual abuse.

According to court records, James Phillip Ward, 31, of Prattville, was arrested Thursday on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. The alleged victim was a 12-year-old girl. The alleged molestation occurred in March.

According to an affidavit of hardship filed in Houston County Circuit Court, Ward has been in the Air Force for 12 years and is stationed at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery.

Ward was released on a $25,000 bond Friday.

First-degree sexual abuse is a class C felony in Alabama. If convicted, Ward could face up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

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