Man arrested in Columbus, GA, tied to missing New Orleans teen case
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- Man arrested in Columbus, GA connected to missing New Orleans teen case; teen found in Pennsylvania basement.
- Teen was groomed online by unknown adult male; two arrested so far for trafficking and kidnapping charges.
A man connected to a multi-statewide agency search of a missing New Orleans teen was arrested in Columbus, GA.
The investigation and search began when a East Baton Rouge Parish teenager went missing in October.
WAFB in New Orleans reported that officials received information from the State of Louisiana’s Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Unit, revealing the missing teen may have had online contact with an unknown adult male.
It was then reported that the teen was allegedly traveling on a bus from Columbus, GA., to Pittsburgh, PA, WAFB reported.
Following a lengthy investigation a multi-state search, investigators were led to Pennsylvania and made contact with the unknown adult male.
The teen was eventually found in a basement with a woman and man from Washington, D.C.
Two people have been arrested in connection to the case so far, including one who was arrested in Columbus.
26-year-old Ki-Shawn Crumity is charged with trafficking in individuals, statutory sexual assault, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
62-year-old Ronald Smith, of New Orleans, was arrested in Columbus, Ga., for simple kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
“Very proud of my LBI agents in helping to locate this child. She was groomed, exploited, and then sexually abused by strangers who found her online,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said. “This is just one example of the dangers of social media and of human trafficking.”
More arrests are pending and the investigation remain ongoing.
Editor’s Note: This article is based off information obtained through WAFB in New Orleans. The mugshot of Ronald Smith was located through our local jail database.
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