Bibb County residents are coming together following a gruesome case involving a child sex operation out of an underground bunker in Brent.
At least two prayer vigils are planned for the weekend.
Friendship Lodge 83 will host a prayer on Saturday from 8-9 a.m.
"It's strictly come as you are, pray for these recent events that happened in our sister city of Brent," Centreville Mayor Mike Oakley told 1819 News. "This is to have a community healing."
The lodge is located in the town square.
There will also be a prayer vigil on Sunday at 6 p.m. at the historic Centreville Presbyterian Church.
"We think the prayer deal is more of an overall community healing," said Oakley. "It's bringing people together to ask the Lord to make sure that justice is done and to heal the hearts of those who have been hurt."
Investigators have arrested seven people in connection with the operation. Sheriff Jody Wade said more arrests are imminent. Multiple victims, as young as age two at the time of the crimes, were used for sexual servitude, with some of them being tied to a pole and a bed in the bunker, detectives revealed.
"This is beyond believable that this could happen in a community near you, but it does happen," Oakley added. "It's always a shock, and I can't believe it that that kind of evil resides in this world and in this area because there's so many good people here. This was the ugly side of humanity, and it's just sickening."
Oakley said the horrific discovery has rocked the community.
"They can't believe that something like that was going on and they and I wish there was some kind of way that we could have known it before, but there's not and you know we're just thankful the law enforcement officers were on it enough to get evidence and then pop them when they did," he said.
Oakley hopes the prayer services will help people deal with what has become a national story. He said while the people of Bibb County hope for a maximum sentence for all involved, prayer is the answer at this time.
"We felt the need to really go spiritual and start a process where you ask God's blessings and healing for the communities because there's no doubt this has given Bibb County a black eye," Oakley explained. "Even though there are nasty people everywhere, Bibb County is a wonderful place. It's a wonderful place. We've got great people, but it just shows you that you need what we call in the Army, 'situational awareness.'"
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