MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Another accused child predator is off the streets.
Memphis police arrested Antoine Wilson, 27, Thursday morning on charges of child rape and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
He’s the fourth person to go to jail on similar charges in just the past week, and the fifth this month.
On the same day his accused sexual abuser faced a judge for the first time, one 10-year-old victim is encouraging other kids to speak up.
WREG is not identifying him, but he wanted to talk about his experience.
His mom’s now-ex-boyfriend, 31-year-old James “Trey” Bradshaw, was arrested Wednesday, accused of molesting him repeatedly.
The child kept it a secret for years.
“He said if I told anyone at all that he would hurt me greatly to where I would fear him,” he said.
The allegations were finally uncovered earlier this month when the boy told his school counselor.
“I had the chance to do it alone, so I did it. I had to speak out for once,” he said.
The news was devastating for his family, who’s known Bradshaw for 15 years.
“It was unbelievable,” the boy’s grandmother said. “I thought, I mean I know the man, there’s no way. Something’s got to be wrong. But I had to believe my grandson first of all. That was where my heart had to go.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Wilson, the latest man arrested on child rape charges, sexually abused a 3- to 5-year-old girl while he recorded it.
In the past couple of weeks, John Grobery, 59, Isiah Hayes, 19, and Daireus Ice, 21, were also arrested on child rape and additional charges.
“This is hard. I don’t want to see anybody suffer, it’s terrible,” the grandmother of Bradshaw’s alleged victim said.
But his family is proud of his courage to come forward.
“He’s like a new child,” she said. “It’s like he’s got a voice.”
And even though he’s only 10, he has some wise words of advice for other children in his shoes.
“I highly recommend to try to speak out to someone like an authority, like I did. And that will help you – it will help you feel a lot better,” he said. “When you’re holding something on like that for a long time, it makes you physically feel emotional. It makes you feel sick inside.”
All five accused child rapists have upcoming court dates.
