In a rural stretch of Bibb County in central Alabama, past pine forests and gravel roads, deputies uncovered what a sheriff called the most disturbing child abuse case he’s seen in his 33 years of working in law enforcement.

Inside a concrete bunker near a home, at least 10 children were harmed as part of what the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office described as a criminal operation involving sex trafficking, torture and the theft of innocence.

Most of the victims were between 3 and 10 years old; one was 15, officials said.

“I know God’s forgiveness is boundless, but if there was a limit to it, I think we’ve reached it,” Sheriff Jody Wade said, describing the acts as beyond comprehension and the kind that fracture faith in human nature.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Wade said seven people, including family members and parents, were charged in connection with the trafficking operation in Brent, Ala., a city of 2,600 people about an hour south of Birmingham, where children were harmed in the bunker’s underground structure.

The charges include human trafficking, rape, sodomy and sexual torture, Sheriff Wade said. Two women and five men were charged.

“I’m afraid there’s going to be more victims and many more suspects,” he said.