Carlee Russell could face jail time as prosecutors consider two potential charges for kidnapping hoax

Carlee Russell could be facing up to a year in prison as authorities in Alabama are reportedly considering charging the 25-year-old with falsely reporting an incident and false reporting to law enforcement authorities.

Authorities in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office – Bessemer Division told ABC News on Thursday that they may be seeking the two charges against Ms Russell for faking her kidnapping and lying about being abducted.

Ms Russell, 25, disappeared on 13 July after calling 911 to report a toddler walking alone along Interstate 459. Ms Russell told police she was pulling her car over to help the small child but was nowhere to be found when authorities arrived.

Two days later Ms Russell turned up at her parent’s home claiming she had been kidnapped.

Police were unable to verify any of Ms Russell’s story until Monday, when an attorney for Ms Russell confirmed she lied about the incident.

Now, she could be facing up to a year in prison for making the false report if she is charged and ultimately convicted.

"We advise what we think the charges should be," Lane Tolbert, the chief assistant district attorney, told ABC News.

Each charge the district attorney is allegedly pursuing is a Class A misdemeanour in Alabama. It carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.

The Independent has reached out to the Jefferson County DA’s Office – Bessemer Divison for comment.

The potential charges come just days after Ms Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, confirmed that his client never saw a toddler walking alone, faked her disappearance and was not kidnapped.

“My client apologises for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well and to her friends and family,” Mr Anthony wrote in a statement read aloud by the Hoover Police Department.

Mr Anthony asked people to pray for Ms Russell “as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward.”

Neither police nor Mr Anthony provided further context as to why Ms Russell lied about her kidnapping or faked her disappearance. However, internet searches, revealed by police, showed that Ms Russell had searched for Amber Alerts, the movie Taken and one-way bus tickets out of Birmingham hours before she went missing.

Any charges filed against Ms Russell will be filed by the Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, Bessemer Division, Mr Tolbert said.

He did not clarify when charges could be officially filed.