(MOBILE, Ala.) Jan. 29 - As far as convicted sex offenders go, authorities say it appeared Steven Kissire was by the book. Living in a tiny pop-up trailer in Wilmer, he kept his address registered as required and held down a steady job. Then one day he spoke to Troy Faulk, a Mobile County Sheriff's Deputy who investigates sexual abuse cases against children.
Kissire, convicted of abusing a 14-year-old girl in Arkansas in the 90's, had a secret to share.
"He stated he had been sexually abusing a nine year old child," said Faulk.
The little girl is from Theodore and someone authorities say Kissire knew. Faulk says Kissire turned himself in because he wanted to be locked up.
"He said he needed to be put in a mental institution for the rest of his life, but he was like, either jail or a mental institution," said the detective.
Before Kissire went to authorities his pastor says he spoke to him.
"He told me he had exposed himself to a child," said Pastor Ed Boutwell with New Beginnings Church in Theodore. "I believe the man was truly sorry for what he'd done. He felt the overwhelming guilt."
The feeling is anger with the couple who now lives near Kissire's camper.
"I got a 380 in there. He wants to come mess with my kids, let him come on," said Cecil Forbes.
But Faulk says Kissire may never be free again if he's convicted of a crime that could have slipped through the cracks.
"It just goes to show me the amount of unreported cases that are out there because this child who is nine years old that he sexually abused might not have ever come forward," said Faulk.
Kissire is in jail waiting for a grand jury to hear the case. Authorities say the nine year old girl, who was abused several times, is receiving counseling through the Child Advocacy Center.
