Authorities arrested two suspects wanted for multiple sex crimes in Douglas County.
According to KYTV, 66-year-old Harold Blair is in federal custody, while 49-year-old Shawna Ross is in the Douglas County Jail. The Department of Homeland Security also came in to assist after investigators found illegal pictures. Investigators say they found the images while the home was demolished.
Blair faces producing child porn charges from 2022. Ross lived in a shed on his property. Authorities states she knew about the alleged sex crimes Blair did. Ross faces two counts each of statutory rape, statutory sodomy, and sex trafficking.
Douglas county Sheriff Chris Degase says in 30 years of law enforcement, this is the most sick and most twisted case he has ever seen.
“On interviewing him, we discovered a very dark past,” said Sheriff Degase. “He, for many, many years had been taking pictures and molesting young girls in this area more than once.”
Sheriff Degase said they unearthed every stone to find what Blair did.
“We searched numerous storage units, we searched his apartment, we search vehicles, we’ve been able to establish at least three victims,” said Sheriff Degase.
“She allowed that knowledge to go on or that type of criminal activity to go on, sexual abuse sexual assault for upwards of a year,” said Sheriff Degase.
They lived right outside Ava in Douglas County on Missouri Highway FF. Sheriff Degase said Ross may have been able to stay in a shed on Blair’s property, for free. He said this is not considered a human trafficking ring in Douglas County, but it came close.
“One of them is that somebody receives something in return for some type of act,” said Sheriff Degase.
Sheriff Degase said the victims they know of, were all under 14 years old. However, currently, they are all adults. He said to believe kids if they say someone is doing something wrong.
“Kids normally don’t just make these kinds of accusations,” said Sheriff Degase. “They need to be taken seriously need to be investigated.”
Sheriff Degase said this is a very lengthy investigation with many different suspects. He says more charges could come in the case.
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