Federal Agents Look To Phoenix Police in Hopes to Catch Teen-Prostitution
Teen-prostitution has been on the rise for some sick reason in the last few years. Luckily the Federal Agents and Phoenix Police are searching to find those young kids and help them.
The Federal Agents think that the California man they recently arrested on child-prostitution allegations could be involved with some other underage victims. The man arrested on Monday for these charges was thirty-six year old, Laron Darrell Carter. According to the ICE statement, it took a year long investigation to finally bring him in. The search began after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were able to save a sixteen year old girl. The girl was reported missing by her family.
Phoenix Police and Federal Agents are working together to hopefully find some more information on teen-prostitution in the Valley area. According to ICE, they think there might be more victims in the Phoenix, Southern California, and Las Vegas areas thanks to the investigation that brought them to the arrest of Carter.
The affidavit that was filed in the case had stated that the young girl had told Homeland and Security investigators that “she had met Carter over the phone through a mutual acquaintance.” That is when Carter persuaded her to leave Los Angeles to meet him, he promised to be her “boyfriend” and “take care of her.”
According to the NEWS release, the 16 year old told federal investigators that after she arrived in California Carter had taken her to a local hotel that is when he then forced her into prostitution. She also said that Carter had made her pose for suggestive photos that he could post on the internet.
The investigators say that she was able to flee after a few days however without money or anywhere to stay she had to return to the hotel to Carter. He allegedly beat her upon her return.
The federal agents say that in late January 2013 that on the sixteen year old’s last night working for Carter he severely beat her by slamming her head into a car window and then forced her to “engage in a sex act with him.” The young girl went to a nail salon to stay safe and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were able to come to take her into protective custody.
The affidavit also said that the investigation had revealed that Carter had been convicted of pandering January 2013. According to the police report, he had taken a thirteen year old girl from California to Las Vegas to work as a prostitute. It went further to say that he even used physical violence as well as wouldn’t let her sleep and have food if she failed to follow his “rules.” Carter was later released in December on parole.
Please help stop teen-prostitution
Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call HSI’s tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/04/21/feds-looking-phoenix-child-prostitution-victims-abrk/7981087/