LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. — A Hamilton man has been arrested on human-trafficking and child-sex charges as part of an ongoing Lauderdale County investigation that has resulted in multiple arrests since late August.
Robert Earl Danford, 69, was arrested and charged with first-degree human trafficking and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and local media reports.
Danford’s arrest was announced Sept. 4. He was being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center pending an Aniah’s Law hearing.
The arrest is part of a multi-agency operation targeting people accused of attempting to engage in unlawful sexual activity with children. The operation includes the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office, Lauderdale County District Attorney’s Office, Florence Police Department, FBI-Birmingham and the West Alabama Intercept Task Force, authorities said.
At least eight people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, based on announcements and reports issued from Aug. 31 through Sept. 4.
Six men were arrested during the initial phase of the operation, according to WAFF and WHNT. Five faced charges including first-degree human trafficking and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act. The sixth was charged with soliciting prostitution, WHNT reported.
A seventh arrest was announced Sept. 2. Logan Thornton was charged with human trafficking and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act.
Danford was arrested in a subsequent development as investigators continued the operation.
Authorities have not publicly released the identity or age of any alleged victim. They also have not disclosed additional details about how investigators identified Danford or the other suspects.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests or charges are possible, authorities said.
Editor’s note: Online posts have described Danford as a former Alabama prison warden, but that claim could not be independently verified through the law enforcement and news reports reviewed for this story.