PRESTONSBURG – A Prestonsburg man is behind bars after police charged him with first-degree assault against his wife this past week.

Alonzo Bradley, 37, of Conley Fork, is being held at the Floyd County Detention Center under a $250,000 cash bond following an arraignment Thursday.

It is alleged that Bradley has, for the past several years, beat and abused his wife in ways that Assistant Floyd County Attorney Jimmy “Blue” Marcum says are some of the worst he has seen while in office.

“Just viewing the pictures from the case upset me,” Marcum said. “From the looks of them, it seems this had been going on for years. This is the worst case of domestic violence I’ve seen.”

According to the alleged victim, she and Bradley had been together since she was 14 years old. During that time, Bradley allegedly beat her with guitar chords and used a hot skillet to repeatedly burn her buttocks. Marcum said pictures of these wounds show both excessive scabbing in this area and also scarring.

During court Thursday, Bradley showed up wearing a Jesus t-shirt. Bradley’s mother has spoken with prosecutors and Floyd District Judge James R. Allen, who presided over the case Thursday, saying her son was not competent, Marcum said.

The alleged victim has been living in a safe house since late January and has not moved to file an emergency protective order against Bradley, though she has filed for a restraining order, said Marcum.

That move came after Marcum said the alleged victim recalled a neighbor helping her “escape” from the home and find safety at the shelter.

Kentucky State Police Det. B.J. Caudill, who has been investigating the case, asked for search warrants for Bradley’s home following the court proceedings Thursday. Judge Allen has said, depending on the results of that search warrant, other charges could be pending against Bradley.