Suspect Accused of Sex Trafficking Leads Police Chase Through City of Smyrna

Cobb County Superior Court

Smyrna, Ga. - According to reports, a suspect that fled from Smyrna police at over 100 MPH is wanted on 21 different charges after he got away from officers on foot.

The chase happened on April 24. His warrants accuse the suspect of raping a sex trafficking victim inside of the SUV that was used to flee police. He has been accused of also beating two women and lighting another woman's hair on fire. After the police chase, he crashed the SUV into another vehicle. He then jumped out of the car and left the scene on foot. He left behind two of the women that accused him of the abuse. They both had a litany of injuries. The police searched the vehicle finding two handguns as well as five ounces of marijuana, ecstasy, baggies, and a digital scale.

14 out of the 21 charges are felony charges. These charges include:

• Rape in Georgia
• Sex Trafficking in Georgia
• Hit and Run in Georgia
• Aggravated Battery in Georgia
• Fleeing or Attempting to Elude in Georgia
• Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia
• Theft by Receiving in Georgia, etc.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the offense of sex trafficking in today's post. It is arguably one of the most serious charges faced by this suspect.

Sex Trafficking in Georgia

Sex Trafficking in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-5-46 as:

When a person knowingly subjects another person to or maintains another person in sexual servitude or knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means another for the purpose of sexual servitude. 

By law, sexual servitude includes any sexually explicit conduct or performance involving sexually explicit conduct for which anything of value is directly or indirectly given, promised to, or received by any individual, which conduct is induced or obtained:

• By coercion or deception;
• From an individual who is under the age of 18 years;
• From an individual whom the accused believes to be under the age of 18 years;
• From an individual who has a developmental disability; or
• From an individual from whom the accused believes to have a developmental disability. 

If convicted of trafficking an individual for labor or sexual servitude, a person will be guilty of a felony and will be punished by a prison term of ten to twenty years and a fine up to $100,000.00. 

Furthermore, the penalty will be escalated if the person has a developmental disability or was under the age of 18 and was coerced or deceived into being trafficked for labor or sexual servitude. Upon conviction, the accused will be guilty of a felony and will receive a fine up to $100,000.00 and a prison term between twenty-five and fifty years.

Practice Note

Sex Crimes in Georgia are highly stigmatized. Most of the time people who are accused of committing a sex crime are assumed guilty as a mere result of the accusation. We know this is not the case. Call us now.