Two men are facing second-degree attempted kidnapping charges after a witness alerted law enforcement to what he believed was suspicious activities near a restroom at Sportsman Lake Park. An attorney for one of the men says there is more to the story.

Arthur Cash, identified in court records as a witness for the State, was attending his stepson’s birthday party at the park Sunday, Aug. 4, when he said three girls — guests of the party — walked together to a nearby restroom. Cash said he noticed a man, later identified in court records as Robert Hollis of Cullman, walking around the outside of nearby restrooms, then later making a phone call.

“Instinct just took over, kind of like Spiderman. My senses were just going haywire,” Cash, a Lynn, Alabama, resident, said during an interview at The Times office Friday, Aug. 9.

Cash said he and one of the girls’ fathers attempted to confront Hollis, but Hollis had left the area traveling in a white car driven by a man later identified in court records as Andrei Gouchtchine of Cullman. Cash said he knocked on the restroom door and told the girls that they needed to come outside.

He said he did not witness Hollis attempt to enter the restroom or speak to the girls. According to Cash, one of the girls told him somebody had tried to enter the bathroom, but she was unable to identify them.

Cash said he alerted the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office to the situation, telling dispatch, “Y’all need to get an officer down here before I kill this guy [referring to Hollis].”

Before deputies arrived on scene, Cash said he saw Hollis at the concession stand purchasing an ice cream cone for a young girl who was accompanied by her grandmother.

“He offered her the ice cream and I [asked the grandmother] if that was her granddaughter. I said, she needed to get her because I thought he was a child molester and was going to kidnap her granddaughter,” Cash said.

Cash said he never heard Hollis threaten or coerce the child.

Sportsman Lake staff members who witnessed the interaction said they had been advised against commenting to the media. A public records request to review security footage submitted by The Times was denied by the Cullman County Commission due to the ongoing investigation. No Sportsman Lake Park staff members were listed as witnesses on the complaint submitted by arresting officer Austin White.

Sarah Fain, a witness for the state according to court records, said she was advised against commenting “by the D.A.,” when reached by phone Friday, Aug. 9.

Cash’s father-in-law, Henry Loyd, is also listed as a witness for the State. On Tuesday, CCSO confirmed Loyd is a registered sex offender based on his 2017 conviction for the electronic solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child for sex, transmitting obscene material to a child, rape and sodomy. Court records state the victim was 15-years-old.

“According to SORNA [Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act] stipulations he [Loyd] is not prohibited from parks as long as he has a legitimate reason to be there,” the CCSO said in a text message sent to The Times on Tuesday.

According to a statement from the CCSO, deputies and investigators spoke with a representative from the Cullman County District Attorney’s office at the scene — who had been having lunch at the park — and second-degree attempted kidnapping charges were recommended.

“CCSO deputies responded to the report of two suspicious individuals at Sportsman’s [sic] Lake Park,” the statement said. “CCSO deputies and investigators spoke with the District Attorney’s Office and both suspects were arrested. Both Hollis and Gouchtchine were charged with second degree attempted kidnapping. … This continues to be an active and ongoing investigation.”

No previous criminal history of crimes involving children could be found in relation to Hollis or Gouchtchine. Gouchtchine’s previous convictions largely center on drug possession charges.

Hollis pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of methamphetamine in July and was given a 12-month suspended sentence. He was set to appear in court Tuesday, Aug. 13, for allegedly building a home without a license in 2023. That case has been reset for a plea docket Oct. 1.

When reached by phone, Hollis’ court-appointed attorney, Michael Thornton, said he has briefly spoken with his client and believed many details about the case have not yet come to light.

With Hollis’ permission, Thornton related that Hollis had previously paid a deposit to rent a pavilion for a canceled birthday party which had been scheduled to take place Saturday, Aug. 3. Thornton said Hollis was at the park Sunday seeking a refund on the deposit and to make sure an inflatable he rented for the party had not been delivered. The employee Hollis needed to speak with had not been working Sunday which Thornton said required him to wait at the park until he received a return phone call.

“I think there’s still a lot about this case that we don’t know. What I will say is that the Constitution also applies in Cullman County, and all we can ask is that the system does its job and all of our rights are upheld,” Thornton said.

The Times left multiple messages with the office of Gouchtchine’s appointed attorney, Stephen Parker, but had not received a response as of press time.

Both individuals were given $100,000 bonds. As of Tuesday, Aug. 13, Hollis remains in detention. Gouchtchine made bond and was released Wednesday, Aug. 7.

Alabama statute defines second degree kidnapping as the abduction of another person coupled with intent to use or threaten to use deadly force. If convicted both individuals could receive up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $30,000.