Shocking images have surfaced of an underground bunker where children as young as three were allegedly sexually abused by a gang.
Seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the horrifying case in Alabama, leading local politicians to demand the death penalty.
The case also includes allegations that the children were forced to wear shock collars and were sold to abusers for $200 per session, according to the police, at a time when online sex abuse is also rife.
William Chase McElroy, 21; Dalton Terrell, 21; Timothy St. John, 23; and Ricky Terrell, 44, are all facing rape charges.
Three others – Andres Trejo-Velazquez, 29; Rebecca Brewer, 29; and Sara Louis Terrell, 41 – were also arrested, reports Mirror US.
The group is accused of subjecting children aged between three and 15 to horrific sexual assaults within the terrifying underground chamber.
Representative Matt Simpson and state Senator April Weaver have proposed a bill that would make those convicted of rape or sodomy of a child under the age of 12 eligible for the death penalty.
Earlier this week, Rep. Simpson stated: “When you have situations like what happened in Bibb County, that would be up to the Bibb County prosecutor. But this would be a tool that they would have in their belt that they could if they decided to use that.”
Weaver stated: “I defy anyone anywhere with any conscience or any sense of morals to look at this case and others like it and argue the death penalty is not appropriate.”
The victims were aged between three and 15 years old.
Court documents reveal they were subjected to abuse with shock collars and sexually assaulted inside a storm bunker in Brent. At least two of the victims were discovered performing sexual acts on each other.
Disturbing images from the bunker, released by the police, display a soiled mattress without sheets or blankets, crammed into the corner of the grimy room.
The accused would allegedly organise and pay for the children, then abuse them within the storm bunker, situated near the home of a family member of William Chase McElroy’s.
Police initiated an investigation into the group in early February following a tip-off from the Alabama Department of Human Resources. After being found, the victims disclosed to investigators what had allegedly been inflicted upon them.
One of the suspects, Andres Velazquez-Trejo, stands accused of lacing the children’s drinks with a white powder to sedate them. He is also charged with selling explicit images of the children.
Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones commented on Velazquez-Trejo, stating, “He would tie one child to the bed, one child to a chair and one to one of the support poles.
“As bad as it sounds with [Velazquez-Trejo] drugging them, it may be a blessing in disguise because they don’t remember a lot of things,” Jones added.
The group of seven are also accused of selling the children for up to £1,000 a night to abusers. Dalton allegedly paid at least two adults to exploit the children, who are now aged three, six, eight, and 10.
One of the suspects has been linked to a Mexican gang that uses sex trafficking as a source of income.
“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 victimisation of children,” Sheriff Jody Wade said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I know God’s forgiveness is boundless, but if there is a limit, we’ve reached it,” he added.
An investigation was launched by the police on 4 February “following concerns regarding the sexual abuse of children in an underground bunker.”