Category: Perpetrators
Officers rescue human trafficking victim, foil narcotics operation in South Beach
Miami Beach Police Department officers arrested seven men on Thursday night after an investigation that lasted weeks resulted in two search warrants at two apartment buildings along the 700th block of Jefferson Avenue in South Beach. On Feb. 17, a 23-year-old victim of human trafficking that was trapped in the area called 911 to ask for help just before a severe beating.
The victim told officers she was struggling with suicidal ideations and described how she had been trapped in a cycle of abuse, prostitution, and addiction since the coronavirus pandemic began, police said.
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to End Child Exploitation
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Maggie Hassan (D-Catherine Cortez Masto Senator nevadaN.H.), and Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio-16), Annie Kuster (N.H.-02), Guy Reschenthaler (Pa.-14), and Lucy McBath (Ga.-06) in reintroducing the END Child Exploitation Act, legislation designed to extend the period of time that technology companies are required to preserve information about child sexual abuse images they report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
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Arizona police arrest 37 suspected ‘sexual predators’ tied to ‘child sex crimes and human trafficking’
The Phoenix Police Department, in partnership with other Arizona authorities, on Friday announced 37 arrests in connection to human trafficking and sex crimes. Undercover police placed ads on websites commonly sought out by suspects seeking illegal sex acts with children as part of an investigation dubbed Operation Broken Hearts. The probe targeted “sexual predators engaged in child sex crimes and human trafficking,” Phoenix police wrote in a Friday Facebook post.
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New partnership to help victims of human trafficking
The Salvation Army is partnering with Catholic Charities to provide housing for victims of sex and human trafficking crimes.
The safe house is secure and not open to the public, but professionals provide meals, life-skill classes, and case management for the victims. The new grant gave Catholic Charities half a million dollars and a partnership with the Salvation Army which will allow them to house victims anywhere between 6-24 months.
Project ReachOut Assists Sex Trafficking Victims During Super Bowl LV Week in Tampa
Tampa, Fla. – Today, the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) announced results from Project ReachOut to provide services to victims and potential victims of sex trafficking during Super Bowl LV week in Tampa.
Utilizing integrated online technologies to allow victims of trafficking and individuals at high risk of being trafficked, to reach local service providers, Project Reach Out distributed over 5,800 text messages resulting in 4,325 contacts with victims and potential victims.
Sex Trafficking Bust During Super Bowl Week In Tampa Results In Record Arrests
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office seized the opportunity and made a record number of arrests during the Super Bowl week, as well as the recovery of six individuals believed to be victims of human trafficking. Throughout the course of the investigation dubbed “Operation Game Over,” which started Monday, February 1, 2021 and ended Saturday, February 6, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested a total of 75 people who were seeking to either buy or sell sex.
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Sex traffickers looking to cash in on Tampa’s Super Bowl advertise and sell victims via the Internet
The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking would like to thank ABC News and Jackie Callaway for the opportunity to show the continued efforts we are doing with putting an end to human trafficking. The U. S. Institute Against Human Trafficking uses specialized software to find and reach victims virtually, said Natalie Kehn, director of operations for the organization, who runs its “Project Reach Out.” The institute uses the software to scrape tens of thousands of locally posted sex ads.
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Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams: 35 victims of human trafficking rescued or identified in 2020
Jacksonville FL — In a press conference promoting human trafficking awareness
Tuesday, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams announced that Jacksonville Police, along with other community partners, were involved in rescuing or identifying 35 victims of human trafficking locally in 2020. Williams says of those 35, 8 were juveniles. Those numbers are up from 2019. We reported last year when JSO announced 19 people were rescued in 2019.
Ask The Governor Why Florida Is Failing To Provide Proper Care For Minor Male Victims of Sex Trafficking
We need your help to ensure that the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF) places male victims of sex trafficking under the age of 18 at USIAHT’s Florida Safe Home.
Florida DCF identified 376 male youth victims between 2017-2019, while USIAHT’s Florida safe home provided care for only 19 victims during that period.
Tell Congress We Will Not Stand For Raiding Funds Designated For Victims of Crime Including Sex Trafficking
The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking needs your help to stop Congress from cutting over $1 Billion from victim service programs.
The U.S. Congress is working this week on the FY 2021 federal budget and initial drafts of the legislation include a 40% cut to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). These funds are earmarked for victims of crime and for grants to non-profit organizations who provide services to crime victims, and now Congress is attempting to take that money and spend it on other government programs.
U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking/Serrano McGuire Law Firm To Disrupt Sex Trafficking Operations During Super Bowl LV
The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT), in partnership with the law firm of Serrano | McGuire, is launching the first of its kind online campaign to intercept online sex buyers looking to purchase sex during events leading up to Super Bowl LV on Sunday, February 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida.
Operation Stomp Out will utilize integrated online technologies to disrupt sex trafficking operations as traffickers and sex buyers descend on Tampa during the two weeks surrounding Super Bowl LV.
“The Super Bowl brings thousands of sex buyers, traffickers, and victims to the host city every year, and we expect Tampa to be no different,” said USIAHT Chairman Kevin Malone. “We are fully prepared to intervene in sex trafficking operations using the most advanced technology available to stop the purchase of sex before it happens and provide resources to victims.”
22 arrested in undercover Tampa Bay human trafficking bust
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Twenty-two suspects were arrested after multiple law enforcement agencies in Tampa Bay teamed up to crack down on human trafficking.
Undercover detectives set up at an undisclosed motel and responded to online ads for commercial sex that had human trafficking indicators. When those responding to the ads showed up to the motel to engage in prostitution, they were screened to see if they were potential human trafficking victims.
Sex Traffickers Target ‘Vulnerable’ Young Girls During COVID-19: Police
Internet-savvy pimps are using social media to recruit young girls who have been left dislocated or economically vulnerable by the pandemic, according to a New York City detective.
Lt. Amy Caponga of the New York Police Department (NYPD) sex trafficking team says messaging apps are often used to control the girls’ movements once they’ve been trafficked and mobile payment services like Venmo exploited to get the money.
One impact of their broadening operations since the onset of COVID-19: some hotels and motels in the New York City area, once filled with tourists, have become sites for prostitution, Lt. Caponga told a recent webinar organized by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Summit County undercover investigation busts human trafficking operation
SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) – An undercover investigation by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office busted a human trafficking operation on Oct. 15.
The sheriff’s office said numerous women were detained for further investigation, as well as offered victim services and evaluations at the Akron General Hospital SANE Unit.
Three of those women accepted the offer for victim services, according to the sheriff.
Pimp’s paradise Nevada’s legal brothels are a disaster for women
‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ is the popular saying. The phrase is thought to have originated in part from the legal brothels of Nevada, where men are assured of anonymity. These brothels have been considered a necessary service industry in the area since the 19th century, when Nevada was populated almost entirely by male gold prospectors. There are currently 21 legal brothels in operation across seven of Nevada’s counties, and I’ve visited seven — as a journalist, not as a sex buyer. What I saw and learned was horrible.
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High-Risk Child Sex Offender Among 27-Arrested in Sun City Center Contractor Sting
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested more than two dozen unlicensed contractors throughout a 10-day sting. The undercover operation was conducted in Sun City Center, an area where many elderly residents often fall victim to cons and scams, including construction fraud. Among the 27 people arrested, was a high-risk sexual offender on felony probation and a man who showed up to work with cocaine in his possession.
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Two charged with human trafficking after Hudson massage parlor bust
HUDSON — Police say a downtown massage parlor was a front for a prostitution and human trafficking ring.
Hudson police, in a joint investigation with the FBI’s Boston Division’s Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force, arrested three people Thursday at the Anjun Spa, 157 Main St., after an investigation, Police Chief Richard DiPersio said.
“Our detectives do a great job of monitoring these type of cases,” he said. “We received several tips from the communities, and we began this investigation several weeks ago.”
The police and FBI task force worked with the state Division of Professional Licensure Investigations to identify businesses that exploit children or traffic in adults for sexual purposes.
Five human trafficking victims rescued, 46 arrests made in massive Houston-wide sting operation
“Operation Patriot,” a collaborative human trafficking sting operation between 23 agencies, has resulted in 46 arrests and the rescue of five victims.
The arrests took place in two missions over a four-day span in September.
The first sting took place in Missouri City when undercover officers identified and arrested suspected human traffickers and sex buyers, commonly called “johns,” the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s office said. Officers also identified and rescued multiple victims.
Man jailed for running sex trafficking ring out of parents home
A US man convicted of running a sex trafficking ring out of his elderly parents’ sprawling suburban home was sentenced today to nine and a half years in prison.
Raymond Rodio III, 49, was arrested in April 2019 and pleaded guilty in February this year to charges including sex trafficking and promoting prostitution.
After he completes his prison sentence, The Long Island man must register as a sex offender and spend five years under court supervision.
“This defendant had a sex dungeon in his parents’ home and forced women into sex slavery,” Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said.
San Gabriel Valley Woman Faces Federal Charges of Running Sex Trafficking Operation that Targeted Immigrant Women
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment that charges a San Gabriel Valley woman with sex trafficking five immigrant women by hiring them to work at massage parlors and forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts.
Mei Xing, 59, a.k.a. “Xing Mei,” “Anna,” and “Boss,” of San Gabriel, is charged with five counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Xing previously was indicted on June 12 on one count of sex trafficking, and today’s charging document adds four additional victims.
RCAHT Task Force Solicitation of Prostitution Sex-Trafficking Sweep Arrests 13
PALM DESERT – Thirteen suspects were arrested on prostitution charges during a 12-hour Solicitation of Prostitution operation in the city of Palm Desert. On 09/23/2020, members of the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) with the assistance of the Palm Desert Special Enforcement Team (SET) and Palm Desert Business District Team (BDT), conducted the sex trafficking demand reduction operation from 11 AM until 11 PM.
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In Georgia visit, feds announce $100M to fight human trafficking
ATLANTA — U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr says the federal government is awarding more than $100 million in grants to target human trafficking.
The money will go to task forces combating human trafficking, to victim services and victim housing.
Barr made the announcement Monday in Atlanta with presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
President Donald Trump’s administration in August awarded $35 million in Justice Department grants to organizations that provide safe housing for victims of human trafficking.
Convicted Sex Trafficker Brian Folks Sentenced to Over 22 Years in Prison
The Honorable William K. Sessions III sentenced Brian Folks, 45, to twenty-two years and six months in prison today, followed by ten years of supervision upon release. A federal jury in Burlington, Vermont, previously found Folks guilty of 13 federal felonies after a nearly three-week trial back in May 2019. Evidence presented at trial showed that Folks ran an extensive and violent sex and drug trafficking operation that sold heroin and cocaine base throughout the greater Burlington area and forced young, drug-addicted women to prostitute.
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Ivanka Trump, Attorney General Barr visiting Atlanta to discuss fight against human trafficking
Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s oldest daughter and one of his top advisers, will pay a visit to Atlanta with U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday.
A White House official confirmed the visit to Channel 2′s Richard Elliot. The trip plans to highlight the Trump administration’s initiatives to protect survivors of human trafficking.
Trump and Barr will meet with Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia first lady Marty Kemp, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and state and federal law enforcement.
“The Trump administration continues to fight tirelessly to end the scourge of human trafficking in our communities. The leaders and community members we’re meeting with in Atlanta are on the front lines of this fight and are critical to our efforts to end this horrific crime,” Ivanka Trump said. “I look forward to learning more about the critical services they provide and announcing additional funding and resources from the Trump administration to assist in these efforts.”
2 Dallas men arrested for sex trafficking in connection to 13-year-old rescued from Irving hotel last November
DALLAS — Two Dallas men were arrested Sept. 9 after a grand jury indicted them on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas.
A third man, accused of advertising sex with a minor online, is already in federal custody and faces the same charges.
Investigators rescued the girl after posing as a buyer responding to the online advertisement. The victim was “clearly a child under the age of 18 in both her physical appearance and mannerisms,” according to a search warrant application written by investigators.
Kention Obryan Johnson, 35, and Sergio Trinidad Carvajal, 30, visited the hotel room where the child was kept, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Two Prattville women busted for allegedly facilitating sexual encounters for money at Montgomery hotel
Two Prattville women were charged with human trafficking after they were allegedly caught encouraging other women to engage in sexual activity for money.
According to court records, a 21-year-old woman was arrested Saturday about 9:30 p.m. at a downtown Montgomery hotel after she enticed another woman to assist her in performing a sexual massage. The woman, unbeknownst to her, had coordinated a meeting with an undercover law enforcement officer by answering a message on a website, according to her arrest affidavit.
U.S. Marshals Service Reveals Majority of Rescued Sex-Trafficked Children Came From Foster Care
The U.S. Marshals Service recently launched a nationwide effort to recover missing and exploited children. Three major operations rescued over 100 children, many of them from sex traffickers. But a disturbing trend discovered during the operation should launch a nationwide investigation into the American child welfare system. PJ Media reached out to USMS for details on the rescued children and was told that the majority of them came from foster care. This information was ignored in the initial media reports on the operation. Dave Oney, press contact at the USMS, responded via email to questions about the rescued children.
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Former Maricopa County Sheriff’s detective arrested during child sexual exploitation, sex trafficking sting operation
Former detective Christopher Butts, along with five other men, were arrested following a months-long operative against child sex crimes.
PHOENIX — A former detective with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is accused of trying to entice a minor for sex for the second time this year.
The arrest came after a month-long sting operation to catch sexual predators in a joint law enforcement operation called “Operation Home Alone 2” in Pinal County.
“Operation Home Alone 2” was designed as a proactive operation to combat child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 multiple arrests were made as a result.
18 arrests for trying to lure victims for underage sex
Over the last five days 18, people were arrested in San Joaquin County for attempting to have sexual contact with a minor – tying the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department’s record for an operation of that type.
And with additional resources allocated to the investigation including some provided from the Federal government, the net for nabbing those who would wish to harm a minor was much larger this time around.
According to Lathrop Police Chief Ryan Biedermann, the operation also included representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, the California Department of Justice, and even the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office that aided in apprehending somebody who was aggressively pursuing the undercover decoy online but was outside of the operation’s jurisdiction.
US Marshals rescue 8 ‘highly endangered’ missing children in Indiana during ‘Operation Homecoming’
The U.S. Marshals announced this week that they had located and rescued eight missing children in Indiana. The missing children recovered in “Operation Homecoming” were said to be “highly endangered.”
The children were “considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sex abuse, physical abuse and medical or mental health conditions,” according to the statement released by the U.S. Marshals Service, Southern District of Indiana.
U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking Statement On California Bill To Protect Pedophiles: Organization Calls For Governor Newsom to Veto SB 145
Kevin Malone, Chairman of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, issued the following statement following passage of Senate Bill 145 in the California Assembly to remove the requirement that adults convicted of having sex with a teenager between the ages 14 to 17 must register as a sex-offender.
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Man charged in Great Falls with promotion of prostitution involving a minor
GREAT FALLS — Corey James Cannon has been charged in Great Falls with aggravated promotion of prostitution.
On August 25th, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) consulted with Great Falls police officers about an ongoing investigation regarding Cannon, who is an active-duty airman assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Court documents state that Cannon attempted to have sexual contact with a youth in Great Falls and was arrested on or about August 6th. OSI took jurisdiction of that investigation and seized Cannon’s phone.
3 Arrests at Clearwater Motel In Child Sex Trafficking Sting
Dozens of kids were rescued in “Operation Not Forgotten” this week. While most of the activity in the investigation was in the Atlanta area, WSB-TV reports that three arrests were made right here in Pinellas County. The two week search for missing children was an effort to find victims of sex trafficking. In all there were 9 arrests. Three of them were at an unnamed motel in Clearwater.
James Garcia has been charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy and incest with a minor. WSB reports a U.S. Marshal Senior Inspector says Garcia was found in the Clearwater motel with a missing 3 year old.
Mesa police arrest 8 in undercover child sex crime operation
PHOENIX — Mesa police arrested eight suspects as part of an undercover operation targeting child sex crimes and human trafficking, the department announced Thursday.
Operation Vampire Cough had officers and undercover detectives placing advertisements on websites commonly used by individuals to seek out illegal sex acts.
Suspects solicited or made deals for various child sex acts and were subsequently arrested, the department said.
Firefighter, former police officer among 17 arrested in Flint-area sex-trafficking sting
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said at a Wednesday, Aug. 19, press conference that Matthew J. Hyde, 40 believed he was speaking to two 14-year-old girls who really were sheriff’s deputies acting as “chatters.” “He had a 15-minute phone call with one of our decoys,” noted Swanson. “In his truck when he was arrested, he had two loaded firearms, a police ID, a police badge of which he was not associated with.” Hyde also previously worked as an officer for the Mt. Morris Police Department, Clayton Township Police Department, as well as a Genesee County Parks ranger.
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Findlay priest charged with sex trafficking
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday arrested the pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, alleging that he groomed and sexually assaulted minors for years, beginning in Toledo, OH. Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith said the Rev. Michael Zacharias, 53, is believed to have groomed and sexually assaulted minors since the late 1990s.
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Morris Prosecutor: West Orange Man Charged with Human Trafficking at Parsippany Hotel
Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker and Parsippany Police Chief Andrew Miller announce the arrest of Mcquacy Goodridge, 28, of West Orange, NJ. Goodridge has been charged with four counts of Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault, Promoting Prostitution, Criminal Coercion, and Terroristic Threats.
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17 arrested in child-trafficking sweep in Genesee County
GENESEE COUNTY, MI – A law enforcement operation targeting child traffickers led to the arrest of 17 people. Over the course of five months, Swanson said that a team in his department known as GHOST – the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team – had set up six stings, during which law enforcement agents posed as 13, 14, and 15-year-old children on social media sites.
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16-year-old locked in barn rescued from human trafficking: sheriff
FLINT, Mich – Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and deputies says in one case a 16-year-old girl was found locked in a barn in Montrose. Swanson says the barn was surrounded by barbed wire and says it appears as if the girl had been trafficked.
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Florida teen accused in sex trafficking of 14-year-old girl
MIAMI — A 17-year-old South Florida boy is facing sex trafficking charges after being accused of selling a 14-year-old girl on social media. Miami Springs police officers were called to the Runway Motel on Tuesday night to check on a teenage girl who had run away from home after a family dispute.
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Lancaster County Human Trafficker Sentenced to Up To 141 Years
LANCASTER, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced that Barry Schiff was sentenced to 55-141 years in prison on charges of human trafficking and related offenses. “Schiff deliberately chose vulnerable victims—women and girls who were marginalized members of their communities– and sexually, physically, and emotionally abused them. These women and girls endured dehumanizing exploitation by countless people.
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Florida teen accused in sex trafficking of 14-year-old girl
MIAMI (AP) — A 17-year-old South Florida boy is facing sex trafficking charges after being accused of selling a 14-year-old girl on social media.
Miami Springs police officers were called to the Runway Motel on Tuesday night to check on a teenage girl who had run away from home after a family dispute, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told news outlets.
Human trafficker gets de facto life sentence; police in York County discovered prostitution ring
A human trafficker who used violence, threats and heroin addiction to force “marginalized” women to prostitute themselves — including in York County — has received a de facto life sentence for his crimes.
Barry “Bear” Schiff, 53, and co-defendant Kenneth Crowell, 36, coerced 10 women into prostitution, held them hostage, forced them to sell their bodies and made them turn over their earnings, a Lancaster County jury previously found.
Federal jury finds Lincoln man guilty of sex trafficking 2 teens, making child porn
A federal jury has found a 33-year-old Lincoln man guilty of sex trafficking two teenage girls, taking them to Colorado and Iowa to have sex for money.
Devin L. Ashford has been set for sentencing in November on charges of sex trafficking of a minor; production of child pornography; sex trafficking by means of force, threat, fraud or coercion; and interstate travel for prostitution.
COURT: Two Columbus runaways become victims in sex trafficking ring
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – New details in the events leading up to the arrest of three Columbus men were released when two of them made their first court appearance.
All three men are charged with sex trafficking among other things. Two of the trio, 23-year-old Zachary Bailey and 21-year-old Rashid Rush faced their charges in a Muscogee County Courtroom. 23-year-old Roy Bailey is scheduled to appear Thursday, Aug. 13.
Court testimony revealed that a 15-year-old and 16-year-old were reported missing in March. Interviews with those juveniles and an investigation found that while their families believed they were missing, they were being utilized in sex trafficking.
Pontiac man accused of operating large human trafficking ring around Oakland County
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – A Pontiac man is facing seven charges accusing him of operating a large human trafficking ring in several Oakland County communities.
The allegations against 23-year-old Dallas Ephraim Jordan-King include prostitution and sex trafficking numerous young women in Auburn, Pontiac and elsewhere in the county, according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
16 men arrested, accused of soliciting sex with minors who were undercover detectives
In recent weeks, the sheriff said 16 men have been arrested for soliciting sex with undercover detectives they believed were minors. They were swept up in what the Hillsborough County, FL. Sheriff’s Office calls “Operation Small Talk,” an online chat operation. Some of the men included a former sergeant with a Tampa Bay-area law enforcement agency and a registered sex offender.
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Two Fort Hood soldiers among nine arrested in child sex trafficking sting
“The overall goal … was to locate and arrest subjects who were willing to make overt efforts to pay minors to engage in sexual acts,” the department said in a statement. The suspects contacted officers they believed were 15 or 16 year old girls and agreed to exchange money, drugs or alcohol for sexual acts Killeen, Texas Police said.
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3 Fla. children safe after police chase involving suspected human trafficker
According to Jackson County, Fla., Sheriff’s deputies identified the suspect as Domingo Morales Hamilton Fernando. During the investigation, it was learned Fernando was in the United States illegally and is wanted for deportation from the United States. Homeland Security agents told deputies that Fernando is suspected of being involved in human trafficking.
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Utah man arrested for child sex trafficking via Twitter, Tumblr
(KUTV) — A Kearns, Utah man is facing child sex trafficking charges — accused of forming a relationship with a young teen, and using that relationship to victimize the girl to make money.
According to charging documents, Craig Thomas Defa, 27, met the girl when she was 14 and he was 22, back in 2015. Two weeks into their relationship, it became sexual.
‘Dangerous, degrading and dehumanizing:’ Prosecutors say men lured vulnerable teens and women into sex work on D.C. streets
Months after a federal jury found a man guilty of sex trafficking and forcing women to prostitute in the Logan Circle and Shaw neighborhoods, authorities have arrested another suspect in connection with the case.
The latest arrest occurred Aug. 2, when members of the federal Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force — which includes officers from the District — took Anthony Gray, 37, of Clinton, Md., into custody.
Police Charge Alleged MS-13 Members With Trafficking Teen
Charges were unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria. A 48-page FBI affidavit says the 13-year-old girl ran away from a group home in Fairfax in August 2018 with a 16-year-old friend who was connected to MS-13.A child trafficking task force found the 13-year-old girl nearly two months later at an apartment in Mount Rainier, Maryland.
The girl, initially reluctant to talk to police, eventually told authorities she was twice beaten on her backside and legs 26 times on two separate occasions with a baseball bat — once as an initiation to the gang, and once as a punishment for talking to rival gang members and allegedly stealing from fellow gang members.
15 arrested in California child sex sting – including highway patrol officer, prison employee
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Detectives arrested 15 people, including a California Highway Patrol officer and a prison employee, after they allegedly tried to meet minors to engage in sex acts.
Kern County Sheriff’s Office investigators posed as children online to meet the suspected predators, who ranged in age from 21 to 54 years old.
“The detectives received numerous correspondence from child predators, who agreed to meet in order to engage in lewd acts with a child,” a sheriff’s release said. “Undercover detectives subsequently arrested the suspects when they arrived at the meeting location, while others were arrested at their homes.”
Columbia police arrest 7 in child exploitation, human trafficking sting
COLUMBIA, Miss. (WDAM) – The Columbia Police Department arrested seven people and are investigating others after a weekend child exploitation and human trafficking operation.
Operation Dollhouse was conducted Friday by the CPD’s Major Crimes Division and Crime Suppression Team after weeks of preparation and partnerships with multiple non-government organizations that provided logistics, victim services, a state-of-the-art command center, surveillance, subject matter experts and evidence retrieval.
Judge refuses to lower bond on man accused of trafficking women for sex out of massage parlor
A Sioux Falls man charged with pimping and prostitution and accused of trafficking women for sex out of a massage parlor in the area was held in jail on bond Monday.
Willie Charles Whitman, 47, was charged in July with pimping or renting for prostitution and practicing massage without a license after police conducted a weeks-long sting investigation into a massage service.
Mason man charged with human trafficking, sexual assault of teenager
MASON, MI — A Mason man is facing human trafficking and sexual assault charges after a girl told police he made her produce child porn, according to court records.
The girl, who was younger than 16, told officials at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services she had been sexually assaulted by Devin Vasquez, 19, Lansing Police Detective Jason Pung testified in hearing that led to criminal charges.
Relentless Sanger officer rescues minor from human trafficking
Orange County, California– A minor is safe after the persistence of a Sanger Police Officer Shaela Edwards, who followed leads when she suspected a sexual assault victim was also involved in human trafficking. The victim is now safe, and the suspected has been arrested and charged with Human Trafficking of a minor.
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13-year-old homeless girl was victim in Tallahassee sex trafficking investigation
Tallahassee, Florida– The investigation that led to 15 arrests last week appears to have begun after a homeless 13-year-old girl was pulled out of a life of exploitation.
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Milwaukee man charged in connection to human trafficking, prostitute solicitation
Milwaukee, Wisconsin– A 42-year-old man was charged on Tuesday, July 21 with one count of receiving compensation for human trafficking and one count of soliciting prostitutes.
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Seven men face solicitation charges after anti-trafficking operation
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow announced that seven men are facing charges for solicitation of prostitution and one is being convicted for human trafficking following an investigation earlier this year. These eight cases are the product of a statewide campaign called Operation Reclaim and Rebuild 2020.
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Fourth man arrested in Las Vegas online prostitution sting
Las Vegas, NV– A fourth man was arrested as part of Monday’s online prostitution sting aimed at combatting the online sexual exploitation of children. Each was apprehended on suspicion of attempting to solicit a 15-year-old girl for prostitution. The arrests unfolded during a sting carried out by an FBI Child Exploitation task force.
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Newbury police charge Maine man in online child pornography case
Newbury Port, Maine – A 42-year-old volunteer firefighter was arraigned Friday in Newburyport District Court on 20 counts relating to an online undercover Newbury police sting targeting sexual exploitation of children.
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Ohio man gets 42 years in prison for sex trafficking 14-year-old girl
Lima, Ohio — Man sentenced to nearly 42 years for sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl. As part of his sentence, Cochran will pay full restitution to the victim and others impacted by the crimes. “While unthinkable to most of us, sex trafficking of children is real and organized,” said David M. DeVillers, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus. “We must recognize the unthinkable and report suspicious activity for the sake of our most vulnerable”.
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Statement from Chairman Kevin Malone on Arrest of Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell
Tampa, Fla. – Kevin Malone released this statement following the arrest today of Ghislaine Maxwell, associate of Jeffrey Epstein: “Ghislaine Maxwell recruited, coerced, and abused innocent young girls to be repeatedly raped by pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his pedophile associates across the world and we pray the justice system holds her accountable for her heinous crimes. We pray that prosecutors pursue Biblical justice as explained in the New Testament book of James that “the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”
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Two arrested at Tulsa motel for trafficking 21-year-old
Tulsa, Oklahoma — Police arrest a man and woman for allegedly trafficking a 21-year-old female at a Super 8 motel. Officers said a woman called 911 to check the motel for her daughter, whom told her she was being prostituted.
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Feds rescue 13-year-old girl and takedown online successor to Backpage
Dallas, Texas — U.S. Atty Erin Nealy Cox announced the seizure of the “online successor to Backpage”, a website that has facilitated many cases of youth trafficking. “DOJ didn’t stop with Backpage, and we’re not going to stop with CityXGuide,” Nealy Cox said as she assessed what’s in store for the North Texas Trafficking Task Force. “If you are going to facilitate exploitation online, we’re not going to hesitate to seize your site and bring charges against you.”
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Kentucky State Police Charge Man With Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses
Franklin County, KY — On June 24, 2020, the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch arrested Tim Riggs, 63, on charges related to child sexual abuse material. Riggs was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation. The investigation was initiated after discovering the suspect distributing and possessing prepubescent child sexual abuse material online.
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Multiple people indicted on charges related to human trafficking operation in Scioto County
Scioto County, Ohio – A federal grand jury has indicted a Scioto County man and several of his family members and associates with charges related to a child sex trafficking operation. According to United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David M. DeVillers, the man allegedly exchanged drugs obtained in Columbus and elsewhere for sexual access to the children of drug-addicted mothers. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force agents began investigating Larry Dean Porter, 69, in April 2019.
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Nicholas Cochran sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison for child sex trafficking
Ohio– The U.S. Attorney’s Office, for the southern district of Ohio, says 28-year-old Nicholas Salvadore Cochran was sentenced 42 years in prison. Aside from the prison time, Cochran has been ordered to pay full restitution to the victim, court costs, and a fine, as well as remain under court supervision for life.
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Boyle County man faces charges related to child sexual abuse material
Boyle County, Kentucky– A man was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect was uploading images of child sexual exploitation online.
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One arrested in Columbia County for child sexual exploitation
Columbia County, Georgia — COLUMBIA COUNTY (WFXG) – On Friday, June 5 the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, assisted by the Thomson Regional GBI Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the GA Department of Community Supervision executed multiple search warrants in Columbia and Richmond counties. Officials searched the home of Mark Christopher Greene and charged him with three counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of distribution of child pornography.
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Man accused of human trafficking across several states
West Palm Beach, Florida — A man is accused of trafficking two women across multiple states, including in Florida. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested 30-year-old Derrion Kirby early Saturday morning. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to La Quinta Hotel on Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach for a human trafficking complaint where an 18-year-old woman was being held against her will.
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20th suspect in undercover child sex sting arrested
Waco, Texas — The 20th and final suspect was arrested Thursday in a local online sting in which men allegedly solicited sex from an undercover officer posing as a teenager, authorities said. Investigators this spring conducted the undercover sting designed to protect children who would potentially be more vulnerable to online exploitation as schools closed and stay-at-home orders were issued to limit the spread of COVID-19.
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Three brothers arrested for human trafficking in Lancaster Co.
Lancaster Co., SC — Three brothers were arrested Thursday and charged with human trafficking and related offenses, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office reports. Sheriff Barry Faile said, “This was an exhaustive investigation. When it began we had little to go on. This victim is a courageous young lady, and she provided us enough pieces of the puzzle that investigators were able to put together the picture and identify the men and the location involved. These men preyed upon a particularly vulnerable young person and committed atrocious crimes against her. I am most appreciative of the efforts of our investigators and those of SLED, HSI, and the Attorney General’s Office.”
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Minnesota woman, man charged in child pornography ring
Princeton, Minnesota — According to complaints filed in Mille Lacs County District Court, a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension human trafficking task force officer was alerted to information from a confidential informant that Deitrich and Miller had been offering sexual intercourse with Deitrich and a juvenile female for sale to a third party in exchange for money and methamphetamine.
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Kentucky man arrested at Texas airport charged with online solicitation of a minor
Waco, Texas– According to investigators, 30-year-old Zene Morlatt of LaGrange, KY communicated with an undercover detective through text messages and a web-based electronic messaging service over the course of several weeks. During the conversation, Morlatt believed he was communicating with a 16-year-old girl and discussed the sexual performance of the child, used sexually-explicit language, and sent multiple obscene images.
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Barren County man accused of promoting child human trafficking
Glasgow, KY — Following an investigation that began after a February complaint, Barren County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Terry Hagan, 55, Friday on a charge of promoting human trafficking victim under 18 years old and five counts of possession of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor, according to his arrest citation.
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As Children Spend More Time Online, Predators Follow
WSJ SPECIAL REPORT– Jennifer Gross had warned her 12-year-old daughter about the potential dangers of socializing with strangers online, but said the message had often fallen on deaf ears. Now the preteen understands the concern. Since mid-March, the daughter has received several flirtatious messages from accounts that appeared to be from adult men on Instagram, Mrs. Gross said.
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Hollywood man arrested on child solicitation charges
Hollywood, Alabama — Police in Hollywood arrested a 78-year-old man on multiple charges related to solicitation of a child. Officers from the Hollywood Police Department received information that Lipham was contacting male juveniles via Facebook messenger soliciting them for inappropriate images and videos.
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South Fulton makes arrest in 3rd possible sex trafficking case this month
South Fulton, Georgia– A 15-year-old victim was rescued and a suspect arrested as a result of a trafficking investigation on Tuesday, police said on Facebook. The suspect faces a host of charges related to trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. According to the police department, two other cases of possible human trafficking were investigated in South Fulton this month. Two more victims were rescued.
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West Tennessee registered sex offender indicted on child exploitation charges
Memphis, Tenn.– D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced an indictment agains a 54-year-old registered sex offender. The indictment alleges that in February 2020, Patterson was found to be in possession of a cell phone that contained images and videos of child pornography. Further investigation resulted in identification of the children depicted, and Patterson’s role in producing the images and videos, which were made between December 2019 and February 2020. The children were all under twelve years of age, and at least one was younger than ten.
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15-year-old sex trafficking victim rescued after missing since April
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A 15-year-old girl is back home after she was recovered from a 31-year-old man’s apartment after she had been reported missing since April. The suspect, Jerreck Hillard, 31, was arrested without incident. At the time of his arrest, he was out on bond on three other felony charges. “Child sex trafficking is a despicable crime,” said Pct. 5 Constable Ted Heap. “Thanks to the hard work of our Major Offenders Division and the DPS, we were able to get this teenage victim out of harm’s way and back home.”
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Melbourne defense attorney accused of using firm as prostitution front hit with more human trafficking charges
Orlando, Florida– A Melbourne criminal defense attorney accused of using his law firm as a prostitution front is facing more human trafficking charges, based on allegations that he had sex with an underage girl in exchange for legal services he provided to her pimp.
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution confirmed Wednesday that John Gillespie, 71, is facing additional counts of trafficking a juvenile for commercial sex and trafficking an adult for commercial sex.
Two men federally indicted for child exploitation, explicit content
Two men were indicted in U.S. District Court in Toledo on Wednesday in separate cases of sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography, according to court documents. One of the accused allegedly sent nude photos of the girl, which appear to be taken by hidden cameras. He also told an Oregon man that he had been experimenting with drugs to see which ones work best on the child.
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Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to manufacturing child pornography
PHILADELPHIA — On May 19, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that a man pleaded guilty to charges of manufacturing and attempted manufacturing of child pornography. These charges arose from the defendant’s sexual abuse of an infant and his videotaping of that abuse. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 200 years’ imprisonment and a mandatory minimum term of 15 years.
This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 19,000 individuals for crimes against children
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Three face charges in sex trafficking investigation
PORTLAND, Ore. — Three people have been indicted by a grand jury in connection with an on-going human sex trafficking investigation, according to the district attorney’s office. According to court records, the alleged crimes occurred in 2019 and 2020 and involved a minor victim. This case is being prosecuted by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Team, which includes two attorneys, an investigator and a victim advocate.
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Man arrested after 15-year-old rescued from sex trafficking in SE Houston
Houston, Texas– Deputies recovered a 15-year-old girl from human trafficking and arrested her alleged trafficker. Deputies said she had been reported missing since April. “Child sex trafficking is a despicable crime,” said Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap. “Thanks to the hard work of our Major Offenders Division and the DPS, we were able to get this teenage victim out of harm’s way and back home.”
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Man arrested for solicitation of child prostitution in Rocky Ford
Rocky Ford, Colorado– A twenty-six-year-old suspect was arrested on charges of soliciting for child prostitution and attempted sexual exploitation of a child by the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Metro Vice Unit. The CSPD MVU began investigating the suspect in April by setting up an online profile of who he thought he was soliciting sexual intercourse and sexually explicit photographs from a 16-year-old female. In actuality, it was an undercover CSPD officer.
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Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrests man on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of children
A Clayton County man has been charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of children, according to the GBI. “This arrest came after an investigation … into the possible sexual exploitation of children via an online service,” a spokeswoman wrote. The agency has made multiple arrests across the state as part of its efforts to identify people who are involved in the child pornography trade and the online sexual exploitation of children.
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Florence Man Charged With Rape, Sodomy, Human Trafficking
According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Merritt was selling marijuana to a 13-year-old in exchange for sexual acts. Investigators say Merritt raped and sodomized the victim multiple times.
While being interviewed, Merritt allegedly admitted that he had a thriving drug operation that targeted teens between the ages of 13 and 16 years old.
Florence man charged with human trafficking, rape and other sex crimes against minors
FLORENCE, Ky. — Boone County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Florence man Wednesday after they say he raped and sodomized several teenagers and in some cases offered them marijuana in exchange for sex acts. Merritt later told authorities he has a “thriving drug operation” and prefers to surround himself with girls aged 13-16 with whom he has some sexual contact, police say. Deputies charged Merritt with three counts of human trafficking, three counts of rape, five counts of sodomy and three counts of unlawful transaction with a minor.
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South Fulton Police rescue human trafficking victims, suspect in custody
Lt. Marcus Dennard told FOX 5, “Upon searching the house there were males found and two other females.”
Police said the girl and woman were victims of sex trafficking. The suspect, Eron McCrary, is facing several charges including human trafficking, pimping, child pornography, aggravated sexual battery and rape in the case.
According to Lt. Dennard, the victims told detectives they were being held against their will, and forced to engage in sexual acts with other men at a motel on Old National Highway and other locations in south Fulton County.
Man faces 65 charges in sex trafficking case involving underage girl
Izaak Shaquilie Blocker, 24, is booked into the Multnomah County Jail on 65 charges, including ten counts of rape, nine counts of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, and four counts of compelling prostitution.
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Portland man accused in human trafficking of underage girl, faces 65 charges
Izaak Shaquilie Blocker is accused of forcing an underage girl into prostitution, as well as physically assaulting, strangling and raping her himself, according to the indictment. A grand jury also indicted Blocker on charges related to allegations of taking sexually explicit photos of her, giving her cocaine and a tattoo without a parent’s consent.
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Alleged Vallejo human trafficking victim rescued, two arrested
A day after a 29-year-old Vallejo resident was reported missing Solano County sheriff’s deputies rescued the woman, said to have been a victim of human trafficking.
The woman’s mother filed a report with the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, saying she’d been missing for a week.
On Wednesday, investigators learned she was a victim of human trafficking, officials said.
Her image was reportedly posted on a human trafficking website. In partnership with Vacaville police detectives, and FBI task force officer, sheriff’s resident deputy and the Sheriff’s Enforcement Team, investigators managed to contact the woman and set up a meeting.
Police: Sex trafficking found in abandoned Georgia home
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. (AP) — Police in Georgia say they discovered a sex trafficking operation after chasing suspects who ran from a stolen U-Haul into an abandoned house.
The City of South Fulton Police Department says officers found two adult women and one juvenile after entering the house on Thursday.
Police say investigators learned that the girl and one of the women had been forced into sex trafficking.
Woman charged in sex trafficking scheme involving teen girls
LINCOLN, Neb. — A 39-year-old Lincoln woman is charged with felony child abuse after she allegedly planned to take teenager girls to Las Vegas to catch sex traffickers.
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Third suspect arrested in alleged Ogden sex trafficking and prostitution operation
Andre Gomez, 41, was booked into the Weber County Jail on Saturday and made his first appearance in 2nd District Court on Monday.
David Anthony Mackey, 42, Chandra Jones, 35, and Gomez trafficked two 17-year-old girls they recruited in Salt Lake City before setting up in an Ogden hotel, the Utah Attorney General’s Office alleged in charging documents unsealed by the court in late March.
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Stolen U-Haul leads to child sex trafficking operation in South Fulton, cops say
A stolen U-Haul led South Fulton police to a child sex trafficking and ecstasy selling operation Wednesday, leading to three arrests and two victims being “saved from a life of misery,” authorities said.
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CFP Suspends Former Broker Arrested in Child Prostitution Sting
Authorities in Oregon arrested Oeming in January as part of a sting operation targeting child prostitution. He was charged with online sexual corruption of a child in the first degree and booked into the Lane County Jail.
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