Alabama School Employees and Police Officer Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges

Five people, including four school employees and one police officer, were arrested in Pickens County, Alabama, on charges tied to child sexual abuse material, according to authorities. The arrests involve faculty members from Aliceville High School and Aliceville Elementary School, as well as an Aliceville police officer, WBRC reported yesterday.

Pickens County District Attorney Andrew Hamlin said his office is conducting investigations alongside the Aliceville Police Department, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations in Birmingham. Hamlin said the coordinated investigations resulted in arrests of three members of the Aliceville High School faculty, one Aliceville Elementary School faculty member, and one Aliceville police officer. As of Wednesday, Hamlin said all five suspects were being held in the Pickens County Jail.

Jail records show teacher Roderick Granger, 41, was arrested Jan. 30 on multiple charges related to child pornography. The jail record listed his charges as possession of child pornography, failure to report, and an ethics violation.

Court records also confirmed teacher Antavious Belgrave, 28, was arrested by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. Records show he was charged with three counts of failure to report, three counts of sexual misconduct, and three counts of ethics violations. He also faces additional felony charges, including one for indecent exposure and three counts of distributing a private image.

Authorities also arrested a police officer identified as Gary, who was placed on leave. Aliceville Police Chief Tonnie Jones released a statement after Gary was placed on leave, saying the department was aware of the accusations against him. The statement said, “The allegations against Officer Gary are serious, and the matter is currently under investigation by the appropriate authorities. In accordance with departmental policy, Officer Gary has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.” Jones added that the department would cooperate with the investigating agency and emphasized its commitment to accountability and public trust.

Jail records show Lakethia Wilkins and Winton Bishop are also booked in the Pickens County Jail. Bishop works at Aliceville High School, and Wilkins works at Aliceville Elementary as a fourth grade teacher. Records list Wilkins’ charges as use of position for personal gain, possession of child pornography, and intent to disseminate pornographic and obscene matter. Bishop’s listed charges include solicitation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, distribution of a controlled substance, and providing a minor with drugs.

Pickens County Schools released a statement saying it is committed to student safety and is fully cooperating with law enforcement as the investigations continue.