Written By JR Robinson

Shelby County, Tenn. – The trial of Daireus Ice began this week in what prosecutors describe as one of the most disturbing child exploitation cases Shelby County has ever seen. Ice stands accused of organizing, directing, and filming sexual assaults involving two children as young as 9 months between 2016 and 2017.

According to prosecutors, the case was first uncovered when the mother of one victim found a video on a cellphone that Ice had previously used and returned. The footage allegedly showed evidence of the abuse, prompting authorities to launch an intensive investigation.

Ice and co-defendant Antoine Wilson were arrested in 2018 and charged with multiple offenses, including Rape of a Child, Especially Aggravated Exploitation of a Minor, and Kidnapping. Investigators contend that the men kidnapped a 4-year-old girl from her front yard, where Wilson assaulted her while Ice filmed the attack, before abandoning the child near her home.

Wilson has since pleaded guilty to all charges. He is also expected to testify against Ice during the proceedings, providing what prosecutors say is critical insight into how Ice recruited him and directed the crimes.

During opening statements, prosecutor Devon Dennis described the case as “a parent’s worst nightmare,” underscoring its gravity. The state plans to present testimony from several witnesses, including a handwriting expert to authenticate letters allegedly written by Ice boasting about the assaults, as well as the child victim’s brother, who was just five years old at the time of the events.

Court records show that the trial has faced repeated delays over the past several years. The case was reassigned to three different judges, involved extensive DNA testing, and has required coordination across multiple charges and four separate co-defendants.

Two other individuals connected to the crimes still face pending cases, according to prosecutors, as the investigation into the full scope of the abuse remains ongoing.

Ice’s trial is expected to continue over the coming weeks, with testimony anticipated to highlight both the brutality of the assaults and the coordination prosecutors say Ice carried out behind them.