Feds: Fugitive Threatened, Abused Young Girls

 View Larger

U.S. Marshals Deputies say Roshard Whitehead sexually and physically abused two little girls during a four year period.

Roshard Whitehead has a great big smile and a friendly demeanor, but don't let that fool you.

Deputy Charlie Feehely with the U.S. Marshals' Florida Regional Fuigitve Task Force is on the hunt for Whitehead, accused of abusing two young girls between 2004 and 2008. 

The long abuse, authorities said, involved threats of starvation and physical abuse to force the girls perform sexual acts on Whitehead, according to authorities.

Deputies say Whitehead first exposed the girls to pornographic movies, which depicted graphic sexual acts.  Whitehead allegedly had the girls play out the sex acts they saw in the films.

According to U.S. Marshals, Whitehead physically and sexually abused the girls, held them down, and forced them to clean up any evidence.  For the girls, the four years of abuse were so horrific, they were afraid to tell anyone.

Finally, they came forward and an arrest warrant was issued in March 2009.  Deputies believe, however, that Whitehead fled the south Florida area in mid-January 2009.

Deputy Feehely says the fugitive is computer savvy, and has relatives in Georgia and Florida.
 

AMW Capture #1085

AMW Tipster Nails Accused Predator Whitehead

Sarah Smith says she catches AMW most Saturday nights, but one night was like no other.  After watching the Capture Roundup featuring a child predator, Sarah jumped out of her chair, "I said 'Oh My God! That's Mike. I better call AMW!'" she said.

What Sarah told the AMW hotline operator made everyone think that her information could be the real deal.

She said the suspect was living with her friend in Lexington, Ky. and was dating a 16-year-old girl there.  Sarah described his little "smirk" and said she thought it was odd he arrived last November with no possessions -- not even a toothbrush.

For months, evidence made U.S. Marshals Service deputies believe he had headed to Lexington but then their trail went cold.  When Deputy U.S. Marshal Charlie Feehely, based in West Palm Beach, got the info, he immediately mobilized deputies in Lexington. 

Charlie wasn't wasting any time -- after all, Charlie and his team had been hunting for Whitehead since March 2009.

Deputy U.S. Marshals and local cops in Lexington, were up and ready to take him down.  They took to the streets and air, surrounding the small suburban home with guns drawn outside and a chopper hovering above.

Just moments before midnight, they knocked on the door and got their man.  Whitehead was sitting on the couch with his phony Florida ID which read "Mike White" in his pocket. 

It was the alias they thought he was using. Without incident, he was taken into custody.

"I'm just so thankful he's caught and away from children," said Sarah.  She is the true hero in helping take a child predator off the streets. In the home were four other children, including a 1-year-old baby girl.

Whitehead is charged with forcing two young girls to watch pornographic movies and then act them out during a four-year period between 2004 and 2008.

Deputy Charlie Feehely said the girls were threatened with starvation and physical force. He described it as one of the most horrific crimes he's had to investigate.

Right after the arrest, Charlie said, "His arrest says a lot about how the public will not tolerate these predators.  The tipster just handed down justice for two little girls in West Palm Beach."