U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) recently expressed disgust at the uncovered sex ring in Bibb County and gave full support for the subsequently announced legislation that would mandate a life sentence or the death penalty for sexually assaulting a child.
Details are still coming in from the ongoing investigation into an underground bunker child sex ring that has already seen at least seven people arrested. The suspects are accused of holding small children, as young as two, in an underground bunker where they were sold for sexual servitude and sexual acts.
The underground ring has allegedly been in operation for roughly two years and involves at least 10 children.
SEE: More arrests in horrific underground bunker child sex ring; Gang ties revealed
The statewide outrage over the discovery led to State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) and State Sen. April Weaver (R-Brierfield) announcing plans to file legislation requiring a person 18 or older convicted of rape in the first degree or sodomy in the first degree, when the victim is under 12, be given a death sentence or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Life without parole is mandated if the offender is under 18.
SEE ALSO: Alabama lawmakers will re-file bill to make child rapists eligible for death penalty
Governor Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall have voiced support for the bill.
On Thursday, during a call with reporters, Tuberville also offered strong support for the proposed legislation, having just returned from a meeting with the state’s legislative leadership.
“I see where Steve Marshall, the attorney general, said something about the death penalty for predators, and I’m all on board with that,” Tuberville said. “It’s just amazing to me that we can allow something like that to happen in Bibb County. What happened there was just a disaster."
“I’ll have to look at [Simpson’s] bill in Mobile. I have not looked at that. But again, it is something that we've got to really look at. We have to make our streets and our neighborhoods safe. Sometimes you've got to take very, very tough actions because some of these things aren’t working that we’re doing. And we’ve got to all get on board together to make it work, because people in this country deserve safe streets and neighborhoods," he added.
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