Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.
ALICEVILLE, AL — Four school employees and an Aliceville police officer have been arrested in a widening investigation involving child sexual abuse material, authorities in west Alabama said. The five suspects were booked into the Pickens County Jail as investigators from multiple agencies continued reviewing allegations tied to local schools.
Officials have released few details about the underlying cases, but the arrests have shaken this small community near the Mississippi line and prompted leaders to promise cooperation and accountability. Pickens County District Attorney Andrew Hamlin said investigators are handling multiple investigations and that additional arrests and charges are possible. The Pickens County School System said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has taken personnel steps to keep schools stable while the criminal cases move forward.
The people arrested include three employees connected to Aliceville High School, one employee connected to Aliceville Elementary School and a city police officer, according to statements and jail records cited by local officials. The suspects were identified as Roderick Granger, 41, an Aliceville High School math teacher; Winston Bishop, 58, who is listed on the high school staff directory; Antavious Belgrave, 28, who is listed as an employee with the Pickens County Board of Education; Lakethia Wilkins, who is listed as a fourth-grade teacher at Aliceville Elementary School; and Caminion Gary, 20, an Aliceville police officer. Investigators said the arrests followed work by the district attorney’s office, the Aliceville Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations in Birmingham.
Authorities described the case as a set of active, overlapping inquiries rather than a single incident, and they have not provided a public timeline that links each suspect to a specific report. Still, records and public comments sketch out a sequence of arrests that unfolded over several weeks. Granger was arrested Jan. 30 on felony charges related to child pornography, according to jail and court records referenced by local outlets. Belgrave was arrested Feb. 6, according to court records. Gary was arrested Feb. 17, and city leaders said he was placed on administrative leave. By Feb. 18, officials said all five suspects were in custody at the Pickens County Jail.
Charging information released through jail records and reported by local outlets shows the suspects face different allegations. Gary, 20, is charged with solicitation of child pornography, sexual abuse, production of child pornography, transmitting obscene material to a child by computer, child molestation and enticing a child. Wilkins faces charges that include possession of child pornography and using her position for personal gain, along with related counts described in jail records as intent to disseminate and obscene matter. Bishop is charged with solicitation of child pornography and possession of child pornography, along with drug-related counts listed as distribution of a controlled substance and providing drugs to minors.
Granger is charged with possession of child pornography, dissemination of child pornography and solicitation of a child for pornography, along with a failure-to-report count and an ethics violation, according to jail records. Belgrave faces multiple counts that include indecent exposure, sexual misconduct, ethics violations, failure to report and distributing a private image, according to court and jail records described by local outlets. In one description from investigative documents, Belgrave was accused of procuring or sending sexually explicit digital photographs to a student under his authority. Officials have not said whether the allegations involve the same victim or victims, whether the conduct occurred on campus, or whether any additional suspects are being sought in other jurisdictions.
Bond information also varied by suspect, based on what local officials and jail records reported. Belgrave was reported to be held on a $1 million bond. Gary and Wilkins were reported as being held without bond. Bond amounts for the other suspects were not consistently detailed in public summaries, and authorities have not released probable-cause affidavits or broader case narratives that would explain why conditions differ from one defendant to another. Hamlin said no additional details would be released while the investigation remains active, a move that can be meant to protect potential victims and preserve evidence in cases involving digital material and alleged exploitation.
City leaders said the police officer’s case raised a separate concern inside the department. Aliceville Mayor Terrence Windham said Gary previously went by the name Caminion Hughes, a name that was still displayed in the police department, according to one account shared by local outlets. Aliceville Police Chief Tonnie Jones said the department had called in outside agencies to help with what he described as a lengthy investigation involving incidents in the school system. Jones said the department did not know one of its officers was under investigation until the arrest was carried out by the State Bureau of Investigation. Windham said the officer was placed on leave without pay while the case proceeds.
Jones also spoke publicly about the toll on the town and the people harmed. “There are a lot of victims,” Jones said during remarks reported by local outlets, adding that he could not provide an exact number at the time. Authorities have not released ages, genders or other identifying details about any alleged victims, and officials have not said whether victims are current students, former students or children outside the school system. Investigators also have not said how they first learned of the alleged offenses, whether tips came from parents or school staff, or whether digital evidence was uncovered through searches, reporting requirements or other methods.
The Pickens County School System acknowledged the arrests and said it could not discuss specifics. In a statement shared on social media, the district said the matters are part of active criminal investigations being handled by law enforcement agencies and that the district is fully cooperating. The statement said student safety and well-being remain the district’s highest priorities and said “appropriate personnel actions” had been taken to ensure stability in schools. The district also said the allegations involve a small number of individuals and do not reflect the broader staff.
Aliceville is a close-knit community of roughly 2,000 residents, and interviews aired by local outlets reflected a mix of shock, sadness and anger as parents and grandparents arrived at school pickup lines. Michelle Mayhew, a grandmother raising three grandchildren, told a local TV crew she knew two of the arrested people. She said Wilkins had taught her grandson in fourth grade last year and that she struggled to square the allegations with the teacher she thought she knew. Mayhew said she also was surprised by Granger’s arrest because he had helped her granddaughter in math and had built trust with students.
Local officials have not announced any school closures tied to the arrests, and there were no immediate details about substitute staffing or changes to daily operations. Community members planned a prayer vigil at City Hall for Saturday at 4 p.m., according to remarks shared by city leaders and local outlets. While leaders asked residents to support victims, officials also emphasized that the criminal cases will move through the courts and that investigators are still collecting information. Hamlin said additional arrests and charges are possible as the investigations continue and agencies review evidence and potential reporting failures.
As of Thursday, the five suspects remained in custody as investigators continued their work and officials said they would release more information when allowed by law. The next public milestone could come through bond hearings, court filings or future announcements from the district attorney’s office as investigators determine whether more people will be charged.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 19, 2026.