A 13-year-old girl who disappeared after meeting a man online has been rescued alive from a box inside his residence, where authorities found evidence of sexual assault. Ki-Shawn Crumity, 26, was arrested in Pittsburgh, US, on charges including human trafficking, sexual assault, and corruption of a minor. The teenager, hailing from Baker, Louisiana, went missing on October 20 after connecting with Crumity on social media.
Crumity is among three men apprehended in a multi-agency investigation involving interstate law enforcement efforts. Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, emphasized the dangers of social media and human trafficking in a statement. The girl was discovered in Crumity’s basement, over 1,000 miles away from her home, following information from federal agents. She was promptly taken to a hospital where evidence of sexual assault was documented.
According to a criminal complaint, the girl revealed that she had communicated with Crumity on Snapchat, who had promised to assist her in finding a trusted guardian. She disclosed traveling to Pittsburgh by bus and recounted being sexually assaulted by Crumity for about a week. The victim expressed feeling safest while in the hospital.
Local officials mentioned that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Special Victims Unit acted on a report from US Marshals regarding the girl’s presence in Pittsburgh. Ronald Smith, 62, has also been arrested for his involvement in the girl’s disappearance, along with Alvin Hanson, who allegedly transported her from Louisiana to Georgia before she boarded a bus northward.
Smith faces charges of simple kidnapping and contributing to juvenile delinquency, while Hanson was charged with contributing to juvenile delinquency. Authorities anticipate more arrests in connection with the case. Reports suggest that individuals from the Washington DC area were present in Crumity’s basement when the girl was rescued.
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