CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton called on prosecutors Tuesday to add hate crimes charges against the six people suspected of kidnapping and torturing a young black woman, and vowed not to give up the pressure.

"The best way to keep us out of town is to handle hate crimes the right way here in town," the civil rights activist told a crowd of nearly 100 people gathered at the First Baptist Church in honor of Megan Williams.

Authorities said three men and three women held Williams captive for days at a rural trailer in Big Creek this summer — sexually assaulting her, beating her and forcing her to eat human and animal feces. She was rescued after an anonymous caller alerted Logan County sheriff's deputies.

The case is expected to go in January before a grand jury, where the defendants face sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The kidnapping count carries a possible sentence of life in prison.

Prosecutor Brian Abraham has said state hate crimes charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, could be difficult to prove because Williams had a "social relationship" with one of the suspects, 24-year-old Bobby Brewster.

Story continues

Abraham has advised the Williams family not to participate in public events for fear of tainting jury pools. Williams did not attend Tuesday's event.

The Associated Press generally does not identify suspected victims of sexual assault, but Williams and her mother agreed to release her name. Carmen Williams said she wanted people to know what her daughter had endured.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and several local preachers have also stayed away, saying they were concerned it could harm the prosecution's case. Local and national NAACP leaders also said they disapproved of the organizers of a November march, a Washington, D.C.-based group called Black Lawyers for Justice because of its ties to black radicals.

Sharpton also criticized Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, who has called for Williams' supporters to back off over similar concerns. Jones had objected to the involvement of Malik Shabazz, the Williams family's legal adviser, because of his past ties to black radicals.

"Any public official or preacher who can't put the pain of his people above the politics of leaders is not fit to be a politician or a preacher," Sharpton said.

Sharpton called Williams' case "a national disgrace" and pledged to talk about the it every day on his syndicated radio talk show.

"If the federal government can intervene to protect dogs from Michael Vick in Virginia then they can do something to protect Megan Williams in West Virginia," Sharpton told The Associated Press.

Also charged in the case are Brewster's mother Frankie Brewster, 49; Danny Combs, 20; Karen Burton, 46; Burton's daughter, Alisha Burton, 23; and George A. Messer, 27.