Shelby County Couple Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Girl

PELHAM, AL — A Pelham couple has been arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes involving a young girl and occurring over the course of several years. Edwin Ratliff, 33, and his wife, Michelle Ratliff, 45, two dozen charges on sex crimes involving the rape, drugging and torture of a girl, beginning in 2010.

A report by Alabama Media Group said the Pelham couple sexually abused a female relative from about 2010 when she was 10 years old up until she was in her early teens. Det. Brad Jordan of the Pelham Police Department described the crimes against the girl as “heinous.”

Jordan said the victim contacted the Pelham PD and described in detail the abuse and torture - including sexual torture with “inanimate objects,” as well as photography and video taping some of the sex crimes and being drugged - which prompted investigators to search the Ratliffe home. Detectives were able to corroborate the victim's account during a search warrant at the couple’s home on Highway 35.

Edwin Ratliff is charged with 16 felony crimes: two counts of rape, three counts of sodomy, two counts of sexual torture with an inanimate object, two counts of enticing a child for an immoral purpose and two counts of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. His bonds total $170,000.
Michelle Ratliff is charges with eight felony crimes: two counts of rape, two counts of sexual torture with an inanimate object, two counts of furnishing drugs to a minor and two counts of sodomy. Her bonds total $120,000.