Four Arrests Made After Deputies Responded - Teen Found Alone With Older Man

PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL - On January 3rd a human trafficking case unfolded in Bay County, resulting in the arrest of four individuals. The Bay County Sheriff's Office received a call on January 3, 2024, reporting occupants of a Panama City Beach motel room staying past their checkout time. Deputies responding to the call discovered a teenage juvenile and 46-year-old Lavar Demetris Randall in the room, prompting a closer examination.

Upon interviewing the juvenile, it revealed a harrowing tale of human trafficking orchestrated by Terrance V. Lowder III, a 28-year-old man who had connected with the victim through social media. Lowder enlisted the help of his associate, 48-year-old Jerry Thomas McCarigie, to execute the plan. Cody Allen Taylor, 28, was identified as the driver who transported McCarigie to pick up the victim from her Springfield residence on the night of January 2, 2024. The group then secured a motel room in Panama City Beach. During their stay, McCarigie provided an array of illegal drugs, including to the juvenile victim, as they spent the night engaging in illicit activities. Lowder seized the opportunity to approach individuals in the vicinity, offering the juvenile for sexual acts in exchange for payment.

Taylor was charged with Interference with Child Custody due to his role in picking up the victim. McCarigie faced charges of Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a Conditional Release Violation. Lowder, admitting to masterminding the plan and engaging in sexual activity with the juvenile victim, was charged with Human Trafficking and two counts of Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor. All four individuals were subsequently booked into the Bay County Jail.