Arabi, Louisiana, United States

In April 2008, a NOLA vice unit was driving around in an unmarked car when Ricky Womack and an "unidentified white female" were seen flagging down cars. They stopped and he offered the girl as a prostitute to the plain-clothed cops for $100. Womack only allowed sexual liaisons to occur in his motel room so that he could protect the girl. The police officers found a "contract" handwritten by the girl in the motel room: 'I do solemnly swear to give Ricky Womack the next five years of my life. I promise never to cheat, lie, or betray him.' The detectives learned the girl was a teenage runaway from Arkansas whom Womack had lured to New Orleans.

Location

United States · Arabi, Louisiana · 2010 (location generalized to protect survivors)

Response & intervention

New Orleans Vice discovered the trafficked child when Womack flagged their car down. One year later, Womack was convicted of human trafficking and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Found the newspaper article during the Not For Sale Investigator Academy: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/man_gets_18_years_for_human_tr.html Other citations of this incident can be found in places such as: http://mgjack.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/human-trafficking-arrest-uncovers-sordid-secret-in-kenner-cops-say/ http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/check-this-out-slavery-in-america-lousiana-man-admits-forcing-a-runway-teen-to-prostitution-how-o/question-391329/

Sources

Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). Use “Report a problem” below to add a source or flag an issue.

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