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HomeNewsFBI Sting Catches Sex Trafficker in Columbia County Hotel

FBI Sting Catches Sex Trafficker in Columbia County Hotel

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An FBI sting targeting sex traffickers has taken down a man for bring three prostitutes to a Columbia County hotel last Thursday.

Shunterrio Jacarvin Thomas, 32, is accused of pimping two 18-year-old women and a 22-year-old woman.  The official charge: trafficking a person for sexual servitude.

Warrants say the suspect brought the three women to the Holiday Inn on Park West Drive, off Jimmie Dyess Parkway.

The arrest was part of the FBI’s Operation Cross Country X, an international effort focusing on underage human trafficking which ran from Oct. 13-15. The operation led to the rescue of 82 minors and arrest of 239 traffickers.

“Operation Cross Country aims to shine a spotlight into the darkest corners of our society that seeks to prey on the most vulnerable of our population,” said FBI Director Comey.  “As part of this effort, we are not only looking to root out those who engage in the trafficking of minors, but, through our Office of Victim Assistance, we offer a lifeline to minors to help them escape a from a virtual prison no person ever deserves.”

Thomas has a listed address in Macon, Georgia. He is being held without bond at the Columbia County Detention Center.

Background on FBI Sting. Operations took place in a number of locations, including hotels, truck stops, and street corners.  Minors recovered during an arrest are engaged with state protective services, and victim assistance.  Depending on the level of need, a law enforcement officer and, if available, an FBI Victim Specialist will accompany the survivor to obtain these services.  Any adult arrested pursuant to state charges will be processed by state and local law enforcement partners assisting in Operation Cross Country.

“Child sex trafficking is a global problem and we must throw every resource we can at combatting it,” said NCMEC Director John Clark.  “All of us at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are proud to work side by side with the FBI and their law enforcement partners as we work tirelessly every day to find and rescue child victims and while ensuring that those responsible for this horrible crime are held accountable.”

As part of Operation Cross Country X in Georgia, Atlanta FBI’s Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force (MATCH) conducted two search warrants, seized seven firearms, recovered one juvenile victim in Lake City, Georgia, arrested fifteen pimps/traffickers as well as fifty-four adult prostitutes.

 

Greg Rickabaugh
Greg Rickabaugh
Greg Rickabaugh is an award-winning crime reporter in the Augusta-Aiken area with experience writing for The Augusta Chronicle, The Augusta Press and serving as publisher of The Jail Report. Rickabaugh is a 1994 graduate of the University of South Carolina and has appeared on several crime documentaries on the Investigation Discovery channel.
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