Four children allegedly held captive and abused in semi-truck

Four children were allegedly kept captive inside the sleeper cab of a semi-truck for more than six years, denied schooling, adequate food and medical care, and sexually abused while the vehicle travelled between Atlanta and Miami, authorities said.

According to the New York Post, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Tuesday that the children — two boys and two girls — were sexually abused and mistreated while in the care of Keysha Monique Epps, 51, of Atlanta, and Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, of Jacksonville. The children were allegedly confined to the truck and rarely allowed to leave.

Authorities said the children, who were between five and nine years old when the alleged abuse began, shared a single bunk in the truck's sleeper cab. They were allegedly denied adequate food, hygiene, education, and medical and dental care. The two girls told investigators that Stewart sexually abused them for years, while the two boys allegedly witnessed the abuse and were physically assaulted after confronting Stewart or reporting it to Epps, authorities said.

Uthmeier described the truck as a “rolling dungeon”, saying the adults would sometimes stop at truck stops to use the restroom or shower but leave the children locked inside the cab. Investigators said the children suffered severe health problems after years of alleged neglect. A detective reportedly noticed that they walked with an unnatural gait, which authorities attributed to prolonged confinement. One child told investigators that she suffered a severe burn from cooked noodles but was not taken for medical treatment, leaving her with a permanent scar. Another child was diagnosed with an untreated sexually transmitted infection after leaving the pair's custody, according to authorities.

The alleged abuse and confinement continued from January 2020 through April 2026, authorities said. Investigators intervened after receiving a tip and subsequently removed the children from the truck.

Stewart faces multiple charges, including sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, battery of a child and child neglect causing permanent disfigurement. Epps faces multiple charges including sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, child neglect and failure to report child abuse.

“This case is one of, if not the most, horrific that my team has ever had to work on,” Uthmeier said, adding that the children were now safe but faced a “long road to recovery”. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges could be filed.