Three 14-year-olds were allegedly groomed for more a month over social media and lured into the hands of alleged human traffickers in Hartford, authorities said at a briefing Thursday at the Hartford Police Department, where officials released new details about the investigation that lead to the arrests of seven men.
According to Hartford police Lt. Sean Michel, all three teens knew each other and were quickly reported missing in an unspecified town. Investigators allege that they were lured away from their families and into the hands of individuals who allegedly trafficked them at multiple residences and a hotel in Hartford over the course of three days. Michel said the suspects likely moved the juveniles multiple times to help cover their tracks and elude law enforcement.
“My personal opinion is I think, especially traffickers with experience, they know that moving the survivors, the victims from place to place hinders law enforcement’s ability to track it and to figure out exactly where they are and where they’re operating,” Michel said.
Michel declined to release more information about the social media platform the alleged traffickers used and how they lured the victims, citing the ongoing investigation and additional anticipated arrests. He said the juveniles had allegedly been communicating with at least one of the traffickers and said that there were not any “catfishing” techniques involved.
“I don’t want to get into the specifics because this investigation is still open,” Michel said. “We are anticipating additional arrests. So as far as those exact specifics, I don’t want to get into it at the moment.”
Hartford State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott said there were no additional victims involved in this specific investigation, but authorities are exploring whether the suspects may have exploited others.
According to officials, Hartford police acted as the lead agency in the investigation and relied heavily on information from the juveniles and their families once they were reunited. After investigating the allegations for months, authorities conducted a two-day operation in September to round up all seven suspects who have been charged.
Six of them were arrested in the area and one of them was apprehended in Florida before being extradited to the state, officials said.
“Their bodies have been sold for sexual pleasure and financial gain,” said Erin Williamson of Love 146 — a statewide group that serves human trafficking victims.
Officials stressed the vital role the sharing of information between groups and organizations played in the investigation, which included the Regional Human Trafficking Recovery Taskforce (RHTRT), Love 146 and the Connecticut Children’s Alliance.
“This outcome is a result of collaboration,” said Krystal Rich, executive director of the Connecticut Children’s Alliance and co-founder of the RHTRT. “Law enforcement, advocates, service providers, child protection, child advocacy centers, prosecutors, all coming together through the multidisciplinary team model.
“It shows what’s possible when we work together, when we share information, and we center the response around the needs of those who are impacted,” Rich said. “Simply put, collaboration is more effective and more efficient.”
The investigation led to the arrests of 36-year-old Ahmad Compton of Hartford; 35-year-old James Williams of Hartford; 38-year-old Bernard Mickens of Hartford; 50-year-old Raheem Jones of no certain address; Donovan Dun of Hartford; 20-year-old Tahjay Wilson of Hartford; and Tyrod Jackson, 19, of Hartford.
Human trafficking investigation in CT leads to 7 arrests, 3 minors being reunited with families
Their cases remain pending in Hartford Superior Court. The arrest warrant affidavits have been unsealed for each suspect but needed extensive redactions and were not immediately available for release on Thursday, according to the Hartford Criminal Clerk’s Office.
Officials at the news briefing said the three juveniles have been receiving resources but still have a long road ahead of them.
“I can speak in general because we don’t talk about individuals, but I can say that it’s not a linear process,” Williamson said. “The road to recovery is not linear. And there’s good days and there’s bad days and there’s days where you think about it more than others. And there’s days where you have more hope and you can see a different type of future that maybe you couldn’t see initially.
“And so, I think these youth are going to go on that journey, and the hope is that as time passes, as they see people responding and wanting to support them, that what feels like an enormous issue in their life right now becomes smaller and smaller,” Williamson added.
Officials also said this case will contribute to making future improvements into situations of human trafficking.
“We are not taking what we learned and putting it on a shelf somewhere,” Rich said. “The lessons learned from this case and others are already shaping how we strengthen Connecticut’s response moving forward.”
In May, the regional trafficking task force released a report outlining the challenges in cases like this and getting victims the support they need. Since then, they have been convening along with other stakeholders like nonprofits and law enforcement to develop recommendations for a stronger statewide response.
“This collaborative effort is focused on ensuring consistency, accountability, and trauma-informed care in every community across the entire state,” Rich said. “In the coming months, we will be releasing those recommendations publicly alongside our statewide partners.”
Compton is charged with three counts each of trafficking in persons, first-degree sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, risk of injury to a minor and illegal sexual contact with a minor; Williams is charged with one count of criminal attempted first-degree sex assault and three counts each of trafficking in persons, first-degree sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, risk of injury to a minor and illegal sexual contact with a minor; Mickens, 38, with three counts each of first-degree kidnapping and risk of injury to a minor and a single count each of commercial sexual abuse of a minor, first-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint and illegal sexual contact with a minor.
Also, Jones, 50, of no certain address, is charged with one count of first-degree hindering prosecution and three counts each of trafficking in persons, first-degree kidnapping and risk of injury to a minor; Dun faces three counts of risk of injury minor, two counts each of third-degree sexual assault, promoting a minor in an obscene performance, employing a minor in obscene performance and first-degree possession of child sexual abuse materials and a single count each of trafficking in persons, first-degree sexual assault, enticing a minor, second-degree strangulation, first-degree unlawful restraint and illegal sexual contact with a minor; Wilson, 20, is charged with three counts each of first-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and illegal sexual contact with a minor; and Jackson, is charged with three counts each of first-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor and illegal sexual contact with a minor.