Former University of Alabama student who allegedly recorded sexual assault granted bond

A former University of Alabama student charged with multiple sex crimes including the rape of another student has been granted bond but must stay away from campus, the victim and her family and friends.

Gambill Colvard Gentry, a 23-year-old from Davidson, N.C., was arrested last month on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, and four counts of first-degree voyeurism. Two of the charges are Class A felonies, and the other four are Class C felonies.

The sexual assault, according to court records – was captured in photos and videos reportedly taken by the suspect. He was initially denied bond.

Gentry has been banned from the campus, authorities said. The victim is an acquaintance of Gentry and a current UA student.

A Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit investigator previously testified for the prosecution at the hearing. The defense called as a witness a Birmingham therapist who works with sexual addicts and offenders.

Attorneys for Gentry – Tommy Spina, Brett Bloomston and Ben Preston – sought bond for Gentry, saying he is not a flight risk and is willing to be electronically monitored.

Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik denied Gentry’s bond request, noting was no way to “reasonably assure the victim in this case will be safe from the defendant.”

The order noted that Gentry traveled to New York to visit the victim after being asked by the victim not to do so.

Testimony also showed, the judge previously said, that he has harassed the victim and made threats to the victim.

A second bond hearing was held Wednesday morning before District Judge Bradley Almond, who granted Gentry a $60,000 cash bond.

Gentry will be on electronic ankle monitoring but is allowed to leave Alabama to receive inpatient treatment at an undisclosed facility.

He is prohibited from attending any University of Alabama events at any time and at any location, cannot have contact with the victim, her family, or her friends.

Gentry, if allowed to have a cell phone in treatment, must install an accountability app, according to the judge’s order.

“On behalf of our client and his family, we are exceptionally grateful to all parties involved to have reached an agreement to have the opportunity to address all the underlying issues that gave rise to the behavior resulting in our client’s arrest,” his attorneys said in a statement to AL.com.

The investigation began last month when the victim told authorities she met Gentry at a bar, woke up the next morning with no memory of the night before, and suspected that she had been assaulted, said Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy.

On July 13, according to charging documents, investigators carried out search warrants on Gentry’s cell phone.

“Investigators were able to obtain photo and video evidence that clearly showed that the victim had been sexually assaulted while unconscious,’’ Kennedy said.

Depositions in the cases state that they found photos of the victim’s breasts and genital area while she appeared to be unconscious.

One of them had a caption that read, “Nice vagina. Happy Birthday slut.”

There were also images of Gentry performing oral sex on the victim was she was clearly “incapable of consent,’’ the documents state.

One of the images contained a caption that read “easy rape.”

Gentry has been in custody since July 25.

Kennedy said evidence recovered during the investigation into Gentry leads investigators to believe that there may be other victims unknown to law enforcement.

The Violent Crimes Unit is asking anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of Gentry’s to contact the VCU at 205-464-8690.