An Athens man is out on bond after being indicted on 75 counts, including rape, human trafficking and possession of drugs and child pornography.

Grady Paul Gaston III was indicted Dec. 9 by a Limestone County grand jury, records show. He was initially arrested on the charges in July 2020, following what the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office described as a “lengthy narcotics/human trafficking investigation.”

The same investigation also led to Gaston’s arrest two months prior on drug charges. However, by July, there was evidence for a search of Gaston’s home on Squire Run, after which Gaston was arrested on an additional 63 charges, including for human trafficking and child porn. LCSO said at the time that additional charges were possible.

Records list the following 75 counts as part of Gaston’s indictment: five counts of human trafficking, one count of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree human trafficking, one count of bribing a witness, four counts of possession of a controlled substance (one count each for cocaine, ecstasy, Xanax and oxycodone), one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and 60 counts possession of a child pornography.

LCSO requested assistance from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in arresting Gaston at a Huntsville address last week. Records show Gaston was booked into the Limestone County Jail just before 4 p.m. Jan. 7, then released on $256,000 bond two hours later.