Florida Couple Accused of Sexually Abusing, Beating and Confining Four Children in a Semi-Truck for Six Years

Florida Women Accused of Keeping Four Children in a Semi Truck for Six Years While Subjecting Them to Sexual Abuse and Severe Neglect

Florida prosecutors have charged two women in what Attorney General James Uthmeier described as one of the most horrific child-abuse cases his office has encountered, alleging that four children spent more than six years confined inside the sleeper cab of a commercial semi-truck while being deprived of adequate food, hygiene, education and medical care and subjected to sexual and physical abuse.

Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, of Jacksonville, and Keysha Monique Epps, 51, of Atlanta, face a combined 22 criminal counts stemming from alleged conduct dating from approximately 2020 through 2026. Authorities say Epps worked as a commercial truck driver traveling regularly between Atlanta and Miami, making stops throughout Florida while the four children, two girls and two boys, lived inside the truck’s sleeper compartment. Uthmeier described the semi-truck as a “rolling prison” and “rolling dungeon,” alleging the children were forced to share a single bunk while spending much of their childhood on the road without regular schooling, adequate nutrition, proper sanitation or routine medical treatment.

Two of the children allegedly suffered untreated burns that resulted in permanent scarring, while another was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection after leaving the defendants’ custody, according to authorities. Prosecutors further allege that the two girls endured sexual abuse and that the boys witnessed abuse and were physically assaulted after attempting to intervene. The charges remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Authorities Say the Children Were Ages 5 to 9 When the Alleged Abuse Began

According to Florida officials, the four children were two 5 year olds, a 6 year old and a 9 year old when the alleged abuse began. Epps and Stewart served as their primary caregivers for approximately six years, although earlier Jacksonville court records reportedly indicate the children had been living in the truck since late 2019. Investigators allege that all four children slept together on a single bunk inside the semi-truck’s cab, with so little room that they sometimes had to sleep curled up beside one another.

Authorities say the children were rarely allowed outside the truck and were deprived of adequate exercise, education, hygiene and medical and dental treatment. Uthmeier said they were malnourished and sometimes remained locked inside the truck while the adults stopped to shower, while officials alleged the children themselves did not receive comparable opportunities to maintain basic hygiene. During the press conference, authorities described allegations that the children were forced to use cups and paper bags as makeshift toilets while confined inside the truck.

Two Children Allegedly Suffered Serious Burns Without Medical Treatment

Investigators say the alleged neglect produced lasting physical injuries. Two children suffered burns that went untreated and ultimately caused significant scarring, according to the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Earlier Jacksonville investigative records reportedly describe at least one child suffering a serious burn involving cooked noodles without being taken for professional medical treatment, leaving a permanent scar.

Authorities also allege the children went years without appropriate routine medical or dental care. One child was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection after being removed from the defendants’ custody, a discovery that became particularly significant as investigators examined allegations of prolonged sexual abuse. The combination of untreated injuries, inadequate medical attention, malnutrition and alleged sexual abuse has become a central component of the criminal case.

The Two Girls Reported Years of Sexual Abuse

The investigation became substantially more serious when the two girls described years of alleged sexual abuse by Stewart. Authorities say the two boys witnessed abuse occurring inside the truck and were physically assaulted after confronting Stewart and reporting what they had witnessed to Epps. Investigators allege Epps knew about the abuse but failed to stop or report it. Earlier Jacksonville records similarly alleged that the children attempted to tell Epps about Stewart’s conduct but were not believed and continued to be left alone with Stewart.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, Stewart was interviewed after being advised of her Miranda rights and admitted to three sexual batteries involving one of the girls. Authorities say one of those incidents occurred in Orlando, establishing a jurisdictional connection that helped bring the case within the statewide prosecution.

The Boys Say They Were Beaten After Trying to Intervene

The two boys were not simply witnesses to what investigators allege happened to the girls. Authorities say they were themselves subjected to physical abuse, including beatings after attempting to confront Stewart and alert Epps about what they had witnessed. Earlier investigative records also accused Stewart of punching children in the head on multiple occasions. Those records describe children emerging from years of confinement with significant physical consequences, including reports that they walked with an abnormal gait that investigators believed was connected to prolonged confinement inside the cramped truck cab.

The allegations paint an extraordinary picture of four children living almost continuously within a restricted physical environment while the truck traveled hundreds of miles between Georgia and South Florida. What would ordinarily be a sleeper compartment designed for temporary use by a commercial driver allegedly became the children’s primary living space for more than six years.

Investigators Say the Children Were Effectively Denied a Normal Education

Authorities also allege the children were deprived of conventional schooling for years. Jacksonville investigative records indicate their last confirmed enrollment in a recognized school occurred in 2020, after which investigators say they were directed to use an application that was not recognized as an accredited educational institution.

If established, the allegations mean the children lost years of conventional classroom instruction and routine interaction with teachers, counselors, classmates and other adults outside their household. That isolation is particularly significant in child-abuse investigations because schools, medical offices and other institutions provide regular opportunities for children to encounter mandated reporters who are legally required to report suspected abuse.

Children continuously traveling between jurisdictions while rarely attending school or receiving medical treatment can become substantially more difficult for child protection systems to detect. In this case, prosecutors allege that the isolation continued for years while the truck repeatedly moved between Georgia and Florida.

Epps and Stewart Face a Combined 22 Criminal Counts

Florida prosecutors have filed a combined 22 charges against the two defendants. Stewart faces 10 counts, including allegations involving sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, battery involving a child and multiple child-neglect offenses, including allegations of neglect resulting in permanent disfigurement.

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

The charging structure is significant because authorities have not alleged identical conduct by the two defendants. Prosecutors have specifically accused Stewart of directly sexually abusing the girls and say she admitted to three sexual batteries involving one child. Epps, meanwhile, is accused of knowing about abuse, failing to intervene or report it and participating in other alleged criminal conduct reflected in the charges filed against her. The precise allegations against each defendant will ultimately have to be established in court.

Florida Officials Say Additional Charges Could Be Coming

The current prosecution may not represent the final scope of the case. Authorities say the investigation remains active and additional charges could potentially be filed as investigators continue reconstructing approximately six years of alleged conduct spanning multiple jurisdictions. That task is unusually complicated because the alleged crimes did not occur inside a single residence. Authorities say Epps’ commercial trucking routes carried the defendants and children between Atlanta and Miami with stops throughout Florida, requiring investigators to determine where individual alleged offenses occurred and which local, state or potentially federal authorities have jurisdiction over particular conduct.

The investigation has already required cooperation among multiple law-enforcement agencies. Florida officials credited investigators and prosecutors working across jurisdictional boundaries, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, local sheriff’s offices and the Office of Statewide Prosecution, with developing the case.

Authorities Say Tips Finally Helped Expose the Alleged Abuse

One of the most troubling questions surrounding the case is how four children could allegedly remain in such conditions for approximately six years without authorities discovering what was happening. Uthmeier said tips eventually helped direct law enforcement toward the case, with the investigation developing rapidly before the statewide charges were announced.

Earlier Jacksonville reporting shows that Epps and Stewart had already been arrested as investigators developed allegations surrounding the children’s living conditions. Epps initially faced child neglect allegations while authorities continued investigating substantially more serious claims involving sexual abuse. The statewide prosecution significantly expanded the criminal case as investigators assembled additional evidence.

The mobility of the truck may help explain how the alleged conditions remained hidden for so long. Unlike children confined inside a conventional residence, these children were allegedly transported continuously between cities and counties while having little regular contact with schools, doctors or other adults outside the defendants’ control. That combination of geographic mobility and social isolation could have allowed the alleged abuse to remain largely invisible despite the truck repeatedly traveling through populated areas.

Florida Attorney General Calls the Semi-Truck a “Rolling Dungeon”

Uthmeier used unusually forceful language while announcing the prosecution, describing the truck as both a “rolling prison” and a “rolling dungeon.” He said the children had been trapped and allegedly abused by the very adults responsible for protecting them and pledged that Florida prosecutors would seek the strongest punishment permitted under the law. Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials similarly emphasized the vulnerability of children and the responsibility of adults and law enforcement agencies to intervene when abuse is suspected. Officials urged members of the public to report suspected child abuse rather than assuming another person or agency will eventually intervene.

The allegations are particularly disturbing because prosecutors say the defendants were not strangers who temporarily gained access to the victims. They were the children’s primary caregivers — the adults responsible for feeding them, educating them, obtaining medical treatment and protecting them from harm.

Prosecutors Say They Will Consider the Maximum Punishment Allowed Under Florida Law

During the press conference, Uthmeier said prosecutors intend to pursue the maximum punishment available and indicated that his office would consider seeking the death penalty where legally authorized. Whether capital punishment could ultimately apply will depend on the precise charges, evidence, victim ages and constitutional and statutory questions presented as the prosecution develops.

That distinction is important because an announcement that prosecutors intend to pursue or consider capital punishment does not establish that a death sentence will ultimately be legally available, sought on every eligible charge or imposed. The investigation remains active, and the charges could continue evolving as prosecutors develop additional evidence. The defendants will also have the opportunity to challenge the state’s evidence, contest the allegations and raise applicable legal defenses. No determination of guilt has yet been made.

Four Children Allegedly Lost More Than Six Years Inside a Moving Truck

Beyond the individual criminal counts, the timeline is what makes the allegations extraordinary. Authorities say four children spent more than six formative years living primarily inside a commercial truck’s sleeper cab, sharing a single bunk as the vehicle repeatedly traveled between Atlanta and Miami.

During those years, investigators allege the children were deprived of adequate nutrition, sanitation, schooling and medical care. Two allegedly suffered untreated burns that left permanent scars. One was later diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. The two girls reported prolonged sexual abuse, while authorities say the boys witnessed abuse and were physically assaulted after attempting to intervene.

The children are now out of the defendants’ custody and receiving care, but removing them from the alleged environment represents only the beginning of what could be a lengthy recovery. Investigators, meanwhile, must reconstruct years of travel across Florida and Georgia, establish where individual alleged crimes occurred, determine whether other people knew what was happening and identify whether additional offenses can be proved.

What prosecutors have already alleged is staggering: a commercial semi-truck traveling one of the busiest transportation corridors in the Southeast effectively became a mobile prison for four children, moving repeatedly through cities and counties while the alleged abuse occurring inside remained hidden for years.

Sources

Florida Attorney General Press Conference — Full Video

NBC 6 South Florida — Four Children Allegedly Abused and Confined in Semi-Truck

CBS News Miami — Women Charged in Semi-Truck Child Abuse Case

News4JAX — Initial Arrests and Jacksonville Investigation

FreightWaves — Florida AG Details “Rolling Dungeon” Allegations and Charges

WSB-TV Atlanta — Children Allegedly Confined in Tractor-Trailer for Six Years