Sex TraffickingArchive 2008–2016

Sex Trafficking in Fouke, Arkansas (2008)

A sex trafficking case from 2008 in Fouke, Arkansas, United States.

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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?

What happened

74 year old Bernie Hoffman, more commonly known as Tony Alamo, started the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in the late 1990s. The Tony Alamo Christian MInistries have compounds in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Jersey. The Arkansas compound started had 100 followers, and Alamo "preached that young girls made the best wives." Alamo transported five underage girls across state lines for sex. Three out of the five girls openly said Alamo sexually abused them. Among these criminal accounts, since the 1970s Alamo was alleged of "kidnapping, brainwashing, child abuse.."

Response and intervention

The Arkansas State Police, the FBI, and the US Law Enforcement investigated the case. Alamo "faces up to 175 years behind bars following his conviction.. on 10 counts of transporting girls across state lines for sexual purposes." Victim emancipation and aftercare are uncertain.

Nearby cases

All 892 in the United States →

Child Labor2010

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 2010

United States US

Porter and Young ran the place and hired the strippers according to police. Neighbors were surprised by the arrests and describe the Patterson Square center as ‘industrial' and mostly commercial businesses. Undra Gaines works across the street from the club and said when he heard about it he thought it was, "Pitiful, disgusting, the reason why I say that is because minors were involved." Many in the neighborhood knew about the parties thrown there, but say they never thought underage girls participated in the parties. "I've been invited to the place several times, but never did go," said Devin Coleman who works across the street from the ‘Party Room'. He said he thought they were, "‘Grown up' parties, you know what I'm saying ‘grown up parties', I'm being honest with you, that's what everyone thought." The door at 5608 Patterson Road reads, ‘Every Event Help Kids'. The establishment that is right beside the club shows a sign of Porter as the face of a group called "Survivors of Murdered Children". "It's a very difficult situation and in this case it's probably not over yet, we're still investigating, probably more charges are coming," said Little Rock Police Department Spokesperson, Lt. Terry Hastings. Many who worked just doors down from the illegal club said they had no idea a joint like this was in their area. Rick Howell works at an alarm company in the complex and said, "It goes to show you never know what's going on with your neighbors." The owners, Porter and Young face a slew of charges including endangering the welfare of a minor and promoting a child in a sexual performance.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

CSEC2009

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 2009

United States US

The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Little Rock, Ark., for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking for their roles in using force, fraud and coercion to cause juvenile girls and adult women to engage in commercial sex acts. Handy and Cooney allegedly benefitted financially from the conspiracy, which took place from January 2002 to May 2008. Handy was also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

CSEC2009

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 2009

United States US

one male- Everett Cooney and a female prostituted a minor to pay for their drug habbit. They also got the victim addicted to drugs. Cooney's plea agreement saw the dropping of sex trafficking of a minor to sex trafficking. Female is to stand trial will be in October 2009.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016