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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowU.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett announced Tuesday that his office has filed a nine-count federal indictment against an Indianapolis man for human trafficking. These are first-of-a-kind charges in Indiana, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana.
The charges against Jerry Mitchell include sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a child and transporting a child to engage in prostitution. His arrrest comes after federal and local authorities joined forces to combat human trafficking and child exploitation.
He’s accused of transporting women and female minors to facilitate their prostitution activities and on a number of occasions sexually assaulting the female minors. He also allegedly made a video recording of the sexual abuse of a 16-year-old victim.
This case was the result of a collaborative investigation spearheaded by the Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans, one of 42 task forces nationwide funded by the department to address the issue of human trafficking. IPATH was created in 2006 and is chaired by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Indiana Attorney General. The group meets regularly to collaborate on cases and projects, provide additional training to law enforcement, and raise awareness in our community about human trafficking.
If convicted, Mitchell faces up to life in federal prison.
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