MIAMI — A pair of sicko Florida truckers allegedly kept four kids locked up in the sleeper cab of their big-rig for six years, where they were sexually abused and mistreated, authorities revealed on Tuesday.
The semi-truck became a “rolling dungeon” for the four young kids — who did not go to school and were almost never allowed to leave, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told a press conference in Kissimmee Tuesday.
Keisha Epps in a mugshot. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
Tamra Marshon Stewart, part of a Florida couple who allegedly held four children in a tractor-trailer cab for nearly seven years. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
Keysha Monique Epps, 51, of Atlanta, and Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, of Jacksonville, are accused of sexually battering, molesting and neglecting the children while driving the truck between Atlanta and Miami.
When the abuse allegedly started, the two boys and two girls were aged between five and nine.
“The evidence makes clear, the girls were sexually abused by Stewart,” Uthmeier said.
“The boys watched it, when they would confront Stewart or report it to Epps, they would be physically abused themselves and injured.
Epps and Stewart are both being charged with child neglect for kept the children confined in the tractor-trailer. 5m3photos – stock.adobe.com
“They were malnourished, they weren’t frequently fed, they weren’t cleaned, they weren’t given showers.
“The evidence shows that the truck would, at times, hit a truck station where the adults would go to the restroom, they might take a shower, but they would leave the kids locked in this rolling dungeon.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
Uthmeier said the “two sick individuals” kept the kids confined to the cab of the truck while they were “non-stop on the road” crossing through Florida.
The children now suffer from “severe infirmities” as a result of the abuse, he added.
“This case is one of, if not the most, horrific that my team has ever had to work on,” the prosecutor said.
Asked how the kids are doing since Stewart and Epps’ arrest, Uthmeier said, “They are safe, I think they’ve got a long road to recovery.
“They are going to need a lot of help, a lot of therapy, lot of prayer.”
He said that investigators had received a tip which had led them to make “observations” and intervene to get the kids to safety.
It was previously reported that detective on the case reported the children were “walking with an unnatural gait from being confined to the cab.”
They were “fed poorly,” and never received medical or dental care — even for emergencies.
During an interview with investigators, one of the children recalled a time she “burned herself badly with cooked noodles.”
Neither Epps nor Stewart took her to get medical attention and the child was left with a “permanent scar,” according to court records.
Uthmeier announced that Stewart will be charged with two counts of sexual battery by a parent, two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12, two counts of battery of a child by expelling certain fluids or materials, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, and two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement.
Meanwhile, he said Epps will be slapped with two counts of sexual battery by a parent, two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, two counts of childhood neglect causing permanent disfigurement, and four counts of failure to report child abuse.
“Let me be clear, here in Florida we have zero tolerance for anybody that wants to hurt kids,” Uthmeier said.