Three people charged with sex trafficking a 13 year old in Houston County, officials say
A Houston County grand jury indicted three people for allegedly trafficking a 13-year-old girl, Attorney General Chris Carr announced Thursday.
Emma-Lee Garcia, 24, is accused of advertising and selling the child for commercial sex, as well as profiting from the sale, Carr said. Noe Borromeo Hernandez and Brian Smith, both 42 years old, were also charged in this indictment with allegedly purchasing the child for sex, with Smith further soliciting the 13-year-old after their initial encounter. Carr’s Human Trafficking Unit presented evidence in front of a Houston County grand jury on Tuesday, which resulted in the indictment.
Garcia faces five counts of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude; Hernandez faces one count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, one count of statutory rape and two counts of child molestation; and Smith faces two counts of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, one count of statutory rape and one count of child molestation, Carr said.
“We’re fighting to combat human trafficking in every corner of our state because protecting Georgia’s children is our top priority,” said Carr. “Whether a buyer or a seller, those who engage in the sexual exploitation of a child will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit began its investigation after “the child disclosed that she was sold for sex in Warner Robins,” Carr said. It is unclear when the investigation against the three defendants started.
The Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry Police Department, the Warner Robins Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in the arrest of Garcia, Hernandez and Smith.
“We won’t rest in our pursuit of justice for survivors, and we will continue to send a strong message that Georgia’s children are not for sale,” Carr said.
An indictment is merely an allegation against the individuals, and they are presumed innocent until the government proves their guilt in trial.
