UPDATED with Press Release...Man Wanted in Connection to Viral Video of Child's Sexual Assault in Custody

Matt Boster

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Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Feb 06 2018 7:34 AM

ELMORE CO., AL (WSFA) - A Millbrook man, wanted in connection with a video depicting the sexual assault of a young girl, has been taken into custody.

According to officials, Germaine Moore, 44, turned himself into Millbrook Police around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Police also say his fiancé has been charged with interfering with prosecution.

Both Moore and his fiancé are in the Elmore County Jail.

Moore was wanted on 11 counts related to a criminal sexual conduct investigation involving a person under 13. He also has active warrants in Detroit, Michigan.

Alabama law enforcement agencies began the investigation after a video depicting the sexual assault of a child started circulating on social media. The video had been shared across social media, and authorities are advising anyone who receives it to report it through social media and delete it immediately.

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UPDATED with Press Release

Beginning on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, members of the Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Montgomery Police Department, the Alex City Police Department and the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department were notified of a viral child pornography video that was being widely disseminated throughout multiple social media platforms. 

All agencies began combining their resources in an attempt to locate the child and the adult male offender portrayed in the video.  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.  The video became viral worldwide and leads began pouring in from around the State of Alabama, the United States and other countries.  

A strong lead was received by the Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force from Detroit Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit.  This information was vetted and determined to have enough merit to support Detroit Police Department Investigators to secure multiple charges for Criminal Sexual Conduct 1^st degree and other related offenses on Germaine Moore, 44, of Millbrook, Alabama.  Both agencies worked together in an effort to identify and rescue the child victim and ultimately identify Moore as a suspect.

On Monday, February 5, 2018, a search warrant was served at the residence of Germaine Moore, who was not at home at the time.  After multiple attempts to locate Moore, Moore’s wife, Tonya Hardy Moore, arrived at the residence and chose not be cooperative in the search for Moore.  Moore was arrested on Hindering Prosecution and placed in the Elmore County Jail.

At approximately 3:30am, Germaine Moore turned himself into the Millbrook Police Department and was booked into the Elmore County Jail without incident.

Facebook is aware of the video and is actively working to remove the video and is working with law enforcement on all aspects of the case. As a reminder, if you receive this video DO NOT save it to your device or share it any further. Possession and Dissemination of this video is a crime and you can be prosecuted for both possessing and disseminating the video.  This case is currently under investigation by the Detroit Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation’s Special Victims Unit, host agency for the Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. 

Both agencies will continue to work together in an effort to finalize the investigation and solidify any further criminal charges in each jurisdiction.

The most important objective was to remove the child from an abusive situation.  The victim has been located and is safe at this time.   Everyone involved in this investigation stands committed to exhausting all resources and strives to protect children from sexual exploitation, arresting those that prey on society’s most vulnerable victims.    The entire ICAC Community will not stop until every child victim, everywhere, receives the justice that they rightfully deserve.

This effort was supported by the following agencies:

Montgomery Police Department, Alex City Police Department, Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department, Millbrook Police Department, ALEA Tactical Team, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Central Alabama Crimestoppers and the Elmore County District Attorney’s Office. 

 

 

 

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