ALBANY, Ga. — A yearlong GBI investigation has culminated in the arrests of 8 people on child sex trafficking charges in Albany, Georgia.
The investigation began in August 2019 when Albany Police received a report about the rape and commercial sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl.
The victim reported being trafficked for two months that summer, and she says it ended when she ran away from her traffickers.
Albany Police then asked for the GBI’s help in investigating the case in October 2019.
The GBI says that during their investigation, they found that members of the Inglewood Family Gang (IFG) Bloods were posting the girl to a website as an adult female exchanging sex for money.
The encounters are alleged to have taken place in cars, hotels, motels and homes around Albany. Investigators say the money from the sex trafficking was used to finance the gang’s activities.
The following individuals have been charged for their various roles in the sex trafficking of a child victim and gang activity:
Korina Johnson, age 18
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
- Aggravated Sodomy - O.C.G.A. Section 16-6-2(a)(2)
Robert Wingfield, age 19
- Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude - O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-46(c)(2)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
Jeston Yates, age 29
- Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude - O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-46(c)(2)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
Ronaldo Patterson, 29
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
- Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude - O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-46(c)(2)
Johnny Shanard Howard, age 33
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
- Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude - O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-46(c)(2)
Tre’Shawn Malik Smith, 20
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
- Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude - O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-46(c)(2)
Byrant Terrell Hooker, age 32
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (d)
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
Jamie Rosier, age 30
- Trafficking of Person for Labor or Sexual Servitude - O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-46(c)(2)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (e)
- RICO - O.C.G.A. Section 16-14-4(c)
- Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act (F) - OCGA, Section 16-15-4 (a)
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