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Teens rescued in trafficking probe
Two 15-year-olds were rescued by police following a multi-state child sex trafficking investigation. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi has the details.
Two more men have been arrested in a child sex trafficking investigation spanning multiple Arizona cities. Police say the investigation led to the rescue of two teenage victims and involved efforts across state lines.
The backstory:
Frankie Feliz, 22, and Akeem Blackwell, 31, were arrested Thursday and each face child sex trafficking charges, according to police. A third suspect, Donte Lofton, 32, was arrested in September on similar charges.
Investigators say the two 15-year-old victims knew each other from a Peoria group home. Court documents allege Feliz and Blackwell checked into a Phoenix motel with the teens and later took them to 27th Avenue, a known sex trafficking corridor.
Police say one of the teens was located and rescued in Indio, California, while with Lofton. The investigation later led detectives to Feliz and Blackwell at a Glendale Walmart, where they were arrested, and the second teen was rescued.
Frankie Feliz, 22, and Akeem Blackwell, 31
'They're looking for young kids'
Why you should care:
Shanna Parker, CEO of Angels Go to Work, an organization that supports young trafficking victims, says building trust with vulnerable teens is an important part of helping them move forward.
Parker, a trafficking survivor herself, says communication with victims can be especially difficult when traffickers monitor their phones.
According to their website, over the past decade, Angels Go to Work has supported more than 250 confirmed juvenile sex trafficking victims in Arizona and helped victims through trials that resulted in traffickers receiving a combined 1,200 years in prison.
"Anywhere there is trafficking, they're looking for young kids," Parker said. "A lot of the time, especially kids in their teenage years, this is specifically what a lot of buyers are looking for."
Parker says escaping trafficking can be dangerous, and victims may not know where to turn for help.
"You don't necessarily have anywhere to run to or know how to run, without the danger of being possibly killed," Parker said. "It is very sophisticated. It is not about sex. It's about money. This is a money-driven problem. And like I said, where there are humans, there is going to be human trafficking."
License plate readers lead to arrest of child sex trafficking suspect in Peoria
Peoria police say investigators used license plate reader technology to track down a 32-year-old man across state lines, rescuing two sex trafficking victims.
What's next:
Feliz and Blackwell remain in custody, with bond set at $500,000 each.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from police; Peoria police; investigators; court documents; Jacob Luthi with FOX 10; detectives; and Shanna Parker, CEO of Angels Go to Work.