Chad Cornelius Seymore, 49, of Dothan, Alabama, has been involved in a significant case of human trafficking, leading to his arrest and subsequent legal proceedings. This article delves into the details of his crimes and the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies that led to his apprehension.
Flowchart illustrating the process of human trafficking.
Arrest and Initial Charges
In January 2024, Panama City Beach police received a call regarding trespassing at the Baymont by Wyndham on Front Beach Road. Approaching a woman at the location, officers discovered she was a victim of human trafficking. Subsequently, Chad Cornelius Seymore was apprehended in Dothan, Alabama, with assistance from Alabama law enforcement. He faced charges including human trafficking, kidnapping, and sexual battery of a woman.
Police reports indicated that Seymore transported the victim to Panama City Beach. The victim stated she was brought to the area to pay off her bail money. She was told that Seymore owned her and she would be performing sexual acts for him. Officers say the victim told them that Seymore had threatened to kill her if she did not. The woman is now safe and receiving care.
Chief J.R. Talamentz of the Panama City Beach Police Department emphasized the severity of the case, stating, “The fact this individual utilized manipulation, threats, and a bunch of criminal activity to convince a victim to act in some of the most horrendous, type of situations you can think of, this is the worst type of case, when one human manipulates another human to be forced into sex trade."
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Federal Charges and Guilty Plea
Further legal actions revealed that Seymore was also charged at the federal level. Kimberly Robinson Gandy, 47, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and money laundering. Her codefendant, Chad Cornelius Seymore, pled as charged, immediately prior to the scheduled trial, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; receiving benefits from sex trafficking; interstate travel in aid of racketeering; and money laundering.
Court documents highlighted that over a four-year period, Seymore conspired with others to bond adult women out of county jail and then force them to commit commercial sex acts in Alabama and North Florida. Seymore recruited women suffering from drug addictions at hotels and through online advertisements. He threatened and physically abused his sex trafficking victims. Gandy conspired with Seymore to traffic women in Panama City Beach and Destin. They used online money exchange platforms to transfer funds received from commercial sex acts.
Attorney John P. Heekin said, “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and the tenacious work of the federal prosecutors and support staff in my office, we have dismantled this sex trafficking conspiracy and obtained justice on behalf of its victims.”
Raising awareness about human trafficking.
Be The One: In the Fight Against Human Trafficking
Investigation Details
The convictions resulted from a joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dothan, Alabama Police Department, the Panama City Beach Police Department, and others. Their collaborative efforts were essential in dismantling the sex trafficking conspiracy.
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Prosecutors stated that Seymore, known as “Circle City Pimp,” and Gandy, referred to as “Boss Lady,” forced and coerced the victim into commercial sex acts with Seymore’s customers. They would transfer money tied to forced prostitution through online platforms.
Dothan police previously investigated Seymore in relation to human trafficking and “received ongoing leads that Seymore used female inmates to recruit other inmates for (him) to bond out and pimp,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. “Seymore would tell the bonded females they would have to work off the bonds,” court documents say. “He was also known to keep the money and, if the girls didn’t do what he wanted, would have the bond revoked sending them back to jail.”
Financial analysis revealed that investigators found more than $80,000 tied to Seymore’s alleged involvement in sex trafficking within one year.
Sentencing
Seymore’s sentencing hearing in Tallahassee federal court is set for August. Gandy is set to be sentenced a month later, on Sept. 15.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.
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