Bibb County’s recent bust of an underground child sex ring is “probably just scratching the surface” of what happened, according to Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade.
Wade told "Alabama’s Morning News with JT" on Monday that the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation is ongoing.
“Well, I'm sure as the investigation continues and as we discover more leads and things like that, this is probably going to get to the point where it's going to reach outside of our jurisdiction,” Wade said. “So when you have a larger federal agency and a state agency that can come in and help you with those apprehensions and prosecutions if different crimes similar to this, you know, happened in other states or something like that, Yeah, they're going to be a tremendous asset to help us in the investigation, in the prosecution of other perpetrators and things like that. So we've had a big outpouring of support.”
He continued, “I'm afraid we are probably just scratching the surface.”
“And you know, as this case evolved from the initial report and where it started, we don't know where it's gonna end. We don't know how many unidentified perpetrators are out there,” Wade added. “They could be states away and traveling here for this. I don't know that. I'm speculating, but we're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, and unfortunately, in this case, as bad as this sounds to say, the easy part is over. We've got all the known victims in a safe place where they’re protected, loved, and cared for. We've got the known local suspects. Now the hard work begins to try to track down the unknowns that are possibly out there.”
Multiple arrests have already been made in the underground bunker operation where animals and children were found victimized.
"Some of them are cooperating, some of them are not,” Wade explained. “I think the longer they have time to sit there and maybe repent and confess, we'll get the answers to all the questions that we have to better serve these children. I feel like, you know, it's a little of both. Some of them are cooperating to a certain extent, some of them are totally cooperating, and some of them are just ‘prove it.’ Like I say, my guys are working, and the longer they have to sit there and maybe get their heads clear and contemplate exactly what they have done, what they have caused to these children, I'm hoping there might be just a spark of conscience somewhere in their soul that they're going to come forward and do the right thing.”
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