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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A 26-year-old Brevard County man is facing more than two dozen felony charges after the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office says he sexually trafficked a teenage girl over a two-year period, forcing her to engage in sexual acts with more than 50 adult men while he recorded the encounters and used the footage to control her.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced the arrests during a press conference, calling the case one of the most disturbing of his nearly 46-year law enforcement career.
Antonio Gilberto Granados was taken into custody on a no-bond status and faces charges of human trafficking, promoting sexual performance by a child, four counts of possession of material depicting sexual performance of a child, and 20 individual counts of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors.
A second arrest connected to the case sent shockwaves through the agency itself. Deshawn Willie Edward, a corrections deputy employed by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Saturday evening and booked into the same jail where he had worked. Edward was charged with one count of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors and is being held on no-bond status. He was immediately terminated.
“Nothing has given me more pleasure in my life than firing him immediately upon his arrest,” Ivey said during the press conference.
The case originated on April 2 when a school resource deputy was approached by the victim’s mother, who reported that her teenage daughter had recently disclosed to a relative that she was the victim of sexual assault by an adult male. The school resource deputy immediately forwarded the information to Agent Asia Stake, who initiated the investigation and made contact with the victim.
According to investigators, the victim was initially extremely reluctant to cooperate, fearing retaliation from Granados, whom she positively identified as her abuser. The victim told agents she met Granados through a mutual friend, and he quickly became controlling, going so far as to install a camera in her bedroom and requiring her to remain on FaceTime any time she left the room.
Agents had to conduct a traffic stop on the victim in order to separate her from Granados’s surveillance. At the time of the stop, she was on FaceTime with him.
The victim described a forced and manipulated sexual relationship with Granados that spanned approximately two years. She told agents that Granados forced her to perform sexual acts well over a hundred times at locations throughout Brevard County. He recorded those encounters on two different phones and used the images and videos as leverage, threatening to leak them if she refused to comply.
Granados also arranged sexual encounters between the victim and unknown adult males, investigators said. The victim reported being forced to engage in sexual activity with more than 50 different adult men during the course of the abuse, with Granados recording those encounters as well.
Investigators said Granados admitted to engaging in sexual acts with the victim at various times and locations throughout Brevard County. He also admitted to creating videos of the sexual encounters at his residence and to possessing at least four to five sexual videos of the victim on his cellular devices.
Those devices were seized and a forensic search warrant was obtained. The BCSO Digital Forensic Unit’s examination revealed multiple videos and images of the victim being physically forced to perform various sexual acts.
During the course of the investigation, agents identified Edward as one of the adult males who had sexual contact with the victim. He was identified through video evidence and was also positively identified by Granados.
In a post-Miranda interview, Edward admitted to having sex with the teenager but denied knowing she was underage. According to investigators, Edward became acquainted with Granados through Snapchat and arranged the encounter through the app. While evidence may indicate Edward’s involvement was limited to a single encounter, Ivey made clear the act was still criminal.
“We will investigate, arrest, and prosecute our own people, as no one in Brevard County is above the law,” Ivey said.
When agents went to take Granados into custody earlier today, they found him in his bedroom attempting to overdose on pills. Agents took him into custody at the hospital, and once released from medical care, he will be transported to the Brevard County Jail on a no-bond status.
Ivey said the case remains active as agents continue to sift through a significant volume of evidence, with additional potential victims still being identified. Approximately 49 additional adult males who allegedly engaged in sexual acts with the victim have yet to be identified and arrested.
“To those other approximately 49 adult pieces of crap that are out there who tormented and harmed this innocent child, I want you to know this: we’re coming for you,” Ivey said. “We are leaving no stone unturned.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Agent Asia Stake at 321-633-8419.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
