A man and a woman from Georgia were charged in May with sex trafficking and other sex crimes related to their involvement in a prostitution ring. The pair allegedly enslaved women in sex acts for money in Atlanta, other areas of Georgia and in North Carolina.
Five women were victimized by the pair of defendants. According to court records, the two would recruit women on Craigslist and Backpage with promises of prostitution in a welcoming environment. Once the women arrived, they were held against their will, forced to inhale drugs and perform sex act despite their unwillingness to do so.
The defendants recently became more violent with the women they conned into prostitution. The women were raped, handcuffed of beaten if they refused sex or if they attempted to leave the group. The women did manage to escape and went to authorities.
The federal charges against the pair include sex trafficking charges and kidnapping charges. The federal sex crime charges carry a lifetime prison sentence and maximum fine of $250,000.
One of the defendants is also accused of sexual exploitation of a minor for receiving photos from a 14-year-old minor. There are related state charges against the male defendant as well.
While Atlanta is considered the center of the country’s sex trafficking, the women in this case were also transported to North Carolina for sex. Authorities continue to ask anyone with information about North Carolina sex trafficking to contact the authorities.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Pair Accused of Enslaving Women for Prostitution,” Steve Visser, 5/18/2011