A Florida couple is being accused of confining four children in the cab of a semi-truck for more than six years, where the victims were forced to share a single bunk and subjected to various forms of abuse, according to the state’s top prosecutor.
Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, of Jacksonville, and Keysha Monique Epps, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, have been charged in Orange County with sexually battering, molesting and neglecting four children.
“These children were trapped in a rolling prison and abused by the adults who were supposed to protect them,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement. “Florida has zero tolerance for anyone who preys on children. We will seek the maximum punishment under the law.”
Stewart is charged with two counts of sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, two counts of battery of a child by expelling certain fluids or materials, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, and two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement.
Epps is charged with two counts of sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement, and four counts of failure to report child abuse.
While the investigation remains ongoing, the attorney general’s office noted that additional charges may be filed. Special Counsels Rita Peters, Stephanie Bergen and Beth Shelley in the Ninth Judicial Circuit will be the prosecutors for this case.
An investigation found that from January 2020 through April 2026, Epps, a commercial truck driver, and Stewart were the primary caregivers of four children.
The children lived in the sleeper cabin of Epps’ truck as she ran routes from Atlanta to Miami and other stops throughout the state of Florida. In addition to forcing the children to share a single bunk, the couple denied them adequate food, hygiene, schooling and medical care, authorities allege.
Due to being denied medical care, two of the children have significant scarring as a result of untreated burns. Another child was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection after leaving the custody of the couple.
“Children are Florida’s future — our greatest hopes and our most sacred responsibility,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said in a recent statement.
“The individuals in this case didn’t just break the law; they violated the trust and safety every child deserves,” Glass continued. “Let this be unmistakably clear: If you harm a child in the state of Florida, we will find you, and we will ensure you are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the attorney general’s office, two of the girls in the couple’s custody disclosed that they endured years of sexual abuse by Stewart. Two boys reported that they witnessed the abuse and said that Stewart beat them when they confronted him and told Epps.
During an interview that took place after authorities read Stewart his constitutional rights and he chose to waive them, the suspect is said to have admitted to three sexual batteries against one of the girls, including an offense in Orlando.
Epps is accused of failing to report the abuse even though she knew about it, something that she was required to do by law, Uthmeier said.
“Protecting children is non-negotiable. Anyone who exploits or harms a child will face the full extent of the law,” Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon said about the results of the investigation. “The Osceola Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who knows of a child in danger of being harmed to report it to law enforcement immediately. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect our most vulnerable.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
