VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A two-day operation lead to the arrest of four individuals in connection with a human trafficking investigation, Virginia Beach police said Thursday.
Virginia Beach police provided News 3 with details on the following four arrests:
43-year-old Steven Gray was charged with possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, pandering, aiding prostitution, using a vehicle to promote prostitution and possession of a firearm while distributing controlled substances.
67-year-old Marvin Boomer was charged with use of communication devices to commit crimes against children, recruiting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor.
27-year-old Autumn Reffett was charged with prostitution.
32-year-old Jessica Martino was charged with prostitution.
Virginia Beach police say their Special Investigations Bureau (SIB) got assistance from Virginia State Police, the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service.
Virginia Beach police say their SIB's investigation involved the identification of victims of human trafficking in the area. "Several" victims were found and given assistance. The four arrests came amid the two-day operation, which was conducted between Jan. 30 and Jan. 31.
I spoke with Samaritan House, a local nonprofit that provides support to trafficking survivors, about the resources available and the prevalence of trafficking in our community.
"We see more victims than we'd like to see come through our doors," said Kelsey Fadness, marketing manager at Samaritan House.
The nonprofit helps people escape domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault and homelessness throughout Hampton Roads. Fadness said human trafficking cases have been increasing over the past few years.
According to Samaritan House, Virginia ranks 15th in the country for reported cases of human trafficking.
"Virginia Beach in itself is such a tourist town so during the summer months there's so much movement with people coming and going that it's really just easy for it to be hidden in plain sight," Fadness said.
Among the four arrests was a 67-year-old man charged with recruiting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Fadness said girls between ages 12 to 14 are the most trafficked victims.
A handgun, narcotics paraphernalia, items to manufacture illegal drugs, and over 20 grams of both cocaine and crack were among the items seized as a result of this operation, according to Virginia Beach police.
"Further investigative leads that were developed during this operation are actively being followed up on by members of SIB," Virginia Beach police said in a statement sent to News 3.
Victims or anyone who knows one locally can call the Samaritan House 24-hour crisis hotline at (757) 430-2120 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
