Shortly before 4 p.m. Monday afternoon, Christopher Poole escaped from the Crenshaw County jail.

Poole is described as a black male, 39 years old, standing 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighing 197 pounds.

He was last seen wearing orange jail pants, a white t-shirt and an orange outer shirt.

Poole was incarcerated on a first-degree rape charge.

His sex offender profile can be found HERE.

According to Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Jimmy Lecroy, Poole was with another inmate awaiting medical attention after filling out a sick call slip.

While the nurse was with the other inmate, Poole slipped out the back door.

“We’re still continuing the search for him,” Lecroy said. “We had a lot of people out searching all night.”

Assisting with the search are dog teams from Covington County and the State Department of Correction, helicopters from Dale County and the Department of Public Safety, and officers from the Luverne Police Department and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, along with Crenshaw County deputies.

If anyone has any information about Poole’s whereabouts, they can contact the Sheriff’s department at 335-6568, extension 239.

Lecroy said if anyone positively identifies Poole, calls can also be placed to 911 or 335-4485.