Residents expess shock at human trafficking, child prostitution ring in their community

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Residents expess shock at human trafficking, child prostitution ring in their community

A human trafficking and child prostitution ring that had been operating has drawn the ire of residents there who expressed shock that something like that had been happening in their community.

Police raided a building on John Shaw Street, Arima, last Saturday, arresting five people, including a police officer, after investigations into the matter.

Officers first visited the property on April 15, when they carried out a search warrant and found and rescued nine foreign nationals, including two minors.

The officers also found sex paraphernalia, condoms, a large amount of alcohol, cash and a roulette machine.

Three of the five arrested suspects, which included a woman, appeared in court to answer the charges yesterday.

A police media release on Wednesday reported that Rod Willis, 49, and 21-year-old Nathaly Gomez Leandres, both of Tacarigua, and Atiba Richards, 45, of Chaguanas, were each charged with two counts of being a gang leader, and one count each of trafficking in children.

Leandres and Richards were also charged with inciting a child to become a prostitute and facilitating child prostitution, while Richards was also charged with the sexual penetration of a child.

The three appeared before magistrate Brambhanan Dubay in the Arima Magistrates’ First Court and were granted bail with surety in the sum of $500,000 each.

As part of the bail conditions they are expected to report to police stations in their various districts once a week between 6 am and 6 pm.

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