7 arrested in connection to Bibb County child sex trafficking ring
BIBB COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — The Bibb County Sheriff Office held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to discuss the recent arrests surrounding a child sex trafficking ring that was uncovered earlier this year.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for 33 years, and this is absolutely the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen when it comes to the victimization of children," Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade said. "Like I say, I know God’s forgiveness is boundless. But if there was a limit to it, I think we reached it.”
Seven people have been arrested in connection to the child sex trafficking ring: William Chase McElroy, Dalton Terrell, Andres Trejo-Velazquez, Timothy St. John, Rebecca Brewer, Ricky Terrell and Sara Terrell. Some charges in the case include rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, sexual torture, human trafficking and kidnapping.
“No child deserves this. That’s the most horrible thing you can do. The power and control of it, the stealing the innocence of a child and the horrible victimizations they went through with these monsters," Wade said. "It’s like the old saying ‘if you see something, say something.’ If you do think or suspect that there are children being victimized, contact us or your local law enforcement and make them aware. If it’s nothing to it, we’ll be glad to say it’s not. But if there’s something to it, God help us to protect these children.”
Wade said the case is believed to have ties to the Sureños gang, which he said is mostly funded through child sex trafficking.
The suspects could have made up to $1,000 a night victimizing children. The case involves at least 10 victims ranging from three to 15 years old. The sheriff's office said some of the suspects are related, but other suspects are acquaintances or people who paid to victimize children.
Wade said the investigation started in February after the Alabama Department of Human Resources received a claim of child abuse at a home on Aaron Drive. The sheriff's office discovered sexual abuse was happening in a bunker behind the home. Wade said the children were not kept permanently in the bunker but the timing of how long they were in there at one time would vary.
“It depends on what appointment time the offenders had," Wade said. "Sometimes, the children would be there, tied to a pole that was there, bound to a bed that was there, or a chair that was there. Sometimes, there would be multiple people that would come by and victimize these children on a nightly basis."
Investigators described the bunker as a partially underground storm shelter detached from the house. The bunker had a dirty mattress, a few chairs and a small chest of drawers with a kitchen appliance on top.
“For the younger kids, I’m hoping this is a blurry memory because some of the statements of the children, they were unable to remember certain things and then things would come to mind," Wade said. "Some of the older children, they’ll carry this vividly for the rest of their lives. So all we can do is the best we can by them to help them get past this. You can’t heal from this, but you can move on as best as you can. We’re going to see, along with the Department of Human Resources, that these children get everything they can to have the best life that they can.”
Wade said the lead investigators on this case have been working nonstop since the abuse was discovered. He said they are all fathers themselves.
"It’s been heartbreaking. It’s very sad. We don’t want to see any children ever have to go through this," said Christopher Poole, a Bibb County deputy. "God puts us at the place that we need to be put at, at that time, and I think me and Justin, our agency, has been put there and we’re going to do everything we can, and my only message to all of the victims, know we are fighting for y’all.”
Wade said he expects there to be more arrests and more victims discovered in the case.
The press conference can be viewed at the top of the article.