Child sex abuse case is every parent's 'nightmare,' district attorney says

A viral video depicting the sexual abuse of a child that led to the arrest of a Millbrook man may be several years old, investigators said Tuesday. 

Germaine Moore, 44, is alleged by Michigan authorities to have abused three young family members between 2011 to 2017 in Alabama and Detroit. The female victims are currently ages 9, 10 and 12. 

Authorities aren’t yet sure where the video that recently began circulating on social media was filmed, or when. The victim has been identified and is safe.

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“Timelines are very critical when you have delayed disclosure, so that’s something we are aggressively pursuing,” Alabama Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Lt. Brooke Walker said. “We just have a timeline of access to the children, so that’s something we need to narrow down and lock in. ... There is some age to the video, and we’re trying to nail that timeline down.”

Wayne County, Michigan, authorities said on Tuesday that three female victims were under the care of Moore, their uncle, from 2011 until 2017 while their mother worked. 

“It is alleged the defendant sexually assaulted the children at his mother’s home in Detroit and at his home in Alabama,” said Wayne County Director of Communications Maria Miller in an emailed statement. 

Elmore County District Attorney Randall Houston said he heard about the “terrible” case days before county authorities realized the adult offender was in their jurisdiction. 

“I was shocked a few days ago when I found out that it was in our backyard now,” Houston said. “These are the kind of cases, where a 6-year-old child is being forced to engage in sexual activity, that give all of us parents nightmares.”

As Alabama authorities continue to build their case against Moore, Houston said the two states are working closely together to share information between agencies and jurisdictions. 

“We are going to do whatever we think will get him convicted the quickest and in prison the longest,” Houston said. 

That could mean Moore’s case being adjudicated in Michigan, where he currently faces several felony charges. Houston said he expected Alabama charges against Moore to be officially filed within the next few days, but an extradition process would be triggered if authorities felt Wayne County prosecutors have a better case. 

“We will work with them,” Houston said of Detroit authorities. “Whoever has the best case, that’s where he’ll end up.” 

Last week, CrimeStoppers released a warning to the public about a graphic video of sexual abuse involving a young child circulating on social media. ICAC and authorities from ICAC, Montgomery, Alex City and Tallapoosa weren’t initially sure where the video originated, but began investigating the assault as well as how and by whom the video was shared.

“All agencies began combining their resources in an attempt to locate the child and the adult male offender portrayed in the video,” Walker said. “Close partnerships with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Facebook developed more investigative leads, to include information that led investigators to believe the video had a strong connection to the Montgomery area.”

Central Alabama CrimeStoppers Executive Director Tony Garrett said the video may have been shared by some in an effort to identify the man in the video, but the act of sharing such material is considered a crime. 

On Monday evening, 42-year-old Jerrell Washington was charged in connection to the distribution of the video, according to a Montgomery Police Department release.

“MPD identified Washington as a suspect in disseminating via social media a video that is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies,” the MPD release stated. Walker said Tuesday she wasn’t aware of any relationship between Washington and Moore, but that investigators are pursuing all leads.

Facebook is aware of the video and is working to take it down.

“If you get this video, don’t panic,” Houston said. “But please delete it. We don’t need you bring it to us, we don’t need you to make a copy. Delete it. Don’t distribute it.”

Washington is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility under a $100,000 bond. 

Authorities executed a warrant at Moore’s Millbrook home on Monday. A woman believed to be Moore’s wife was arrested for hindering prosecution. 

When asked if Moore was in possession of other pornographic materials involving minors, Walker said investigators are currently reviewing materials and technology seized from Moore’s home. 

“I’ve never met a pedophile that only victimized one individual,” Houston said. “My belief is there are other victims out there.”