A shocking new allegation has emerged from the heart of a Kentucky corruption scandal, as a woman has come forward on a national podcast claiming she was sexually exploited as a teenager by the judge later murdered in his chambers. In an emotional live interview on “Surviving the Survivor,” Tia Adams, a lifelong resident of Letcher County, detailed a decades-long pattern of abuse she alleges was perpetrated by the late Judge Kevin Mullins and enabled by a toxic courthouse culture.
Adams, now a mother of four, stated the initial encounter occurred around 2001 when she was 16 and working as an informal intern. She claims Mullins, then an assistant commonwealth attorney, assaulted her in his office. “He threw money in my face,” Adams told host Joel Waldman, alleging this act initiated her involvement in a sordid underworld where she was compelled to perform sexual acts for Mullins and other officials.
Her testimony paints a picture of systemic exploitation within the local justice system. Adams described being forced into sex work, performing at private parties for officials, and being paraded naked. “We would put on shows for them. We would have sex with them. We would clean naked for them,” she alleged, naming other local figures including the late child support attorney Harold Bowling. She claims these activities often took place within the courthouse itself.
The interview linked these allegations directly to the September 2024 shooting that left Judge Mullins dead. Former Sheriff Mickey Stines, who is charged with murder after being captured on video shooting Mullins eight times, is seen by Adams as a catalyst. “He had not have done what he’s done, then we might never have this opportunity,” Adams said, calling Stines her “hero” for breaking the silence, though she acknowledged he was no “angel.”
Adams’s story is presented as part of a much larger crisis. Both she and fellow guest Elizabeth Jones, host of the “Hillbilly Crime” YouTube channel, asserted there are “hundreds” of similar victims in the region. They described a cycle where individuals, particularly women, are allegedly groomed, entrapped by the legal system on minor charges, and then controlled through bonds, drug court, or incarceration.
“This place is a dungeon,” Adams said of the Letcher County jail, alleging orchestrated violence and cover-ups. Jones cited a recent protest where a lone demonstrator was arrested, stating she herself has been threatened with violence by relatives of current jail officials. “They’re going to rip their uniforms off and they’re going to beat me,” Jones recounted of the alleged threats.
The podcast also connected the allegations to a wider pattern of corruption in Eastern Kentucky. The case of former Perry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Blair was discussed; Blair is currently serving a 54-month federal sentence for honest services wire fraud after soliciting sex and meth from defendants. Guest General Mark Davidson, an active district attorney from Tennessee, urged victims to contact outside agencies.
“Given the fact that they actually took on the case of that prosecutor in that neighboring county, I would suggest that looks like a pretty good place to start,” Davidson said, referring to the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office. Adams expressed deep distrust of local authorities, claiming her attempts to seek help from the governor and attorney general have gone unanswered. “Nobody will touch it,” she stated.
Adams’s personal narrative extended beyond the alleged abuse to describe a legal system she says continues to punish her. After serving eight years on charges including trafficking and unlawful imprisonment—the latter stemming from a jail fight she claims was orchestrated by guards—she remains on parole until 2099 due to unpaid child support arrears, which she says have ballooned with interest to over $26,000.
“I have served my time and then some,” Adams declared. Both she and Jones pleaded for external intervention, citing fear of retaliation but a resolve to continue speaking out. “We have solid physical evidence… It’s not even in the state,” Adams claimed, hinting at more revelations to come. The broadcast ended with calls for viewers to contact the FBI and advocacy groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, as the hosts vowed to continue investigating the crumbling foundation of justice in the Kentucky mountains.
