Billy Randolph Edwards

Editor’s note: The following story contains information that may not be appropriate for children.

The preliminary hearing for a former Limestone Flea Market employee accused of paying to have sex with a Honduran boy has been rescheduled for Monday in U.S. District Court in Birmingham.

Billy Randolph Edwards, 63, of Huntsville, was arrested Sept. 28 in Huntsville on two counts of human trafficking, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of first-degree sodomy, records show. The arrest warrants follow an ongoing investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security.

The following claims were made in the complaint filed in United State District Court for the Northern District of Alabama by Special Agent Derreck Moore:

Law enforcement officers interviewed an 18-year-old Honduran citizen on May 16 whose initials are F.A. In 2014, when F.A. was 15, he was smuggled into the U.S. by his father, Darwin Amador, and the two lived in Huntsville.

Sexual abuse claims

Shortly after F.A. was brought to Huntsville, his father began sexually molesting him, including forcing him to receive oral sex. Not long after that, F.A.’s father began forcing the teenager to engage in an ongoing sexual relationship with Edwards in exchange for money. The sexual relationship with Edwards occurred when F.A. was 15 or 16 and continued for at least several months. The encounters occurred at Edwards’ home and his place of employment, according to the complaint.

A local law enforcement official said Edwards had been an employee at the Limestone Flea Market, were he collected rent from vendors. After the sexual relationship stopped, Edwards continued the payments because Amador threatened to inform law enforcement about the sexual relationship and payments.

Evidence collected

According to the complaint, evidence gathered by law enforcement to support the human trafficking, sexual abuse and sodomy charges includes:

• Text messages between Edwards and F.A. that indicate an ongoing sexual relationship during the period F.A. said it occurred;

• Pictures of a sexual nature, including a picture of F.A.’s genitals, which F.A. sent to Edwards at Edward’s request; and

• Bank records that establish multiple payments from Edwards to F.A. and his father, including 13 checks totaling $20,350 from Edwards to either F.A. or Amador, or both, between Nov. 2, 2015, and April 10, 2017.

Possible contract found

On Sept. 1, officials with the Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security executed a search warrant on Edwards’ Huntsville home and found a handwritten document that purports to be a contract between Edwards and Amador, according to the complaint. The alleged contract calls for Edwards to pay Amador $25,000 for a cellular phone that contained information Edwards did not want to be give to law enforcement, the complaint said.

At the time of Edwards’ arrest, Sheriff’s Investigator Cathy Davis asked for other possible victims of Edwards to call 256-533-8831. Since then, several have come forward, officials said.

Edwards was released from the Madison County Jail after posting bond of $365,000.