A Brewton man was scheduled to appear in Mobile County Circuit Court Tuesday for the start of his trial on charges he raped, molested and sexually tortured two girls, according to court records.

But Tuesday came and went and Branden Lee Howell, 36, was nowhere to be found. Now he is a fugitive, wanted by the county’s fugitive task force. As of Friday afternoon, he had not been apprehended, according to the Mobile Metro Jail docket.

A call to Howell’s attorney was not returned.

Court documents indicate the alleged assaults began in 2015, when the two victims were ages 3 and 5, and continued until 2019, when Howell was arrested that December.

In total, Howell is facing 14 felony counts:

• Two counts of 1st degree rape
• Two counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12
• Seven counts of 1st degree sodomy
• Two counts of sexual torture/abuse
• One count of criminal tampering

Bond for Howell was originally set at a total of $600,000 for all charges, but six months later it was reduced to $240,750 and he posted bond and was released.

When Howell failed to appear in court Tuesday, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Once captured, he will be held without bond.

A GoFundMe account has been opened to raise money to offer as a reward for Howell’s capture. It has a goal of $5,000.