Angelique* and Damien* were minors. But both had already experienced two years of terror in their short lives.
Angelique and Damien’s mother had been recording Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) of the children for years. The CSAM had been broadly circulated, sold online through multiple platforms to generate the maximum amount of revenue.
Law enforcement came across the material, but this mother was wily: she kept moving with her children each month, making it impossible to pin down her location and remove them from her abuse.
Angelique and Damien experienced physical abuse in addition to the sexual abuse by their mother. The severe trauma kept them subdued, their childhood contaminated.
The Exodus Road has team members who are experts in cyber investigations. When they joined law enforcement in the case to help track down the mother’s location, their commitment to protecting these two children was relentless.
Our team was able to develop the reliable intelligence police needed to finally locate this predatory mother. When law enforcement descended on their location, Angelique and Damien were in a state of shock. Government social workers who gently spoke to them and assessed their well-being found evidence of the physical abuse, but also deep psychological scars that will require a lifetime of healing. The kids are in protective services now, where they’ve already used all their courage and their limited understanding to explain to police what they have endured.
This mother is facing criminal charges that carry a severe fine and up to 20 years in jail. Our team was left grateful for the care the kids are now receiving, but deeply sobered by what they witnessed.
”“It was very shocking because the perpetrator was the mother of the victims. Instead of protecting, caring for, and educating them, she was physically and psychologically abusing them for her own profit."
The Exodus Road Investigator
At The Exodus Road, we know that, unfortunately, not all families are safe places. We are dedicated to stepping in and bringing exploited kids like Angelique and Damien to safety. Thank you for standing with us in that commitment.
*Names and images are representative
