Men charged with human trafficking
Published 9:45 am Thursday, December 8, 2016
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VALDOSTA, Ga. — Two men were arrested this week when a woman claimed she was being forced to have sex for money in several states.
Police charged two men Tuesday on charges of pimping and human trafficking, according to reports.
The Valdosta Police Department’s narcotics unit set up a prostitution sting at a local motel in the 1200 block of North St. Augustine Road using a social-media website, said police Lt. Adam Bembry.
A 37-year-old woman reportedly met with undercover agents. After she discovered the agents were police officers, she said she was being forced by two men who brought her there to participate in sexual activity for money, according to a VPD report.
Detectives detained two men who had brought the woman to the motel, Bembry said. Investigators learned the female had been taken to multiple states for the purpose of participating in sexual activity for money, Bembry said.
Evidence recovered from a vehicle also supported the woman’s claim, including more than $33,000 in cash, Bembry said.
Timothy Dorsey, 49, of Bowie, Mo., and Matthew Lenzi, 30, of Glendale, Ariz., have been booked into the Lowndes County Jail on warrants for human trafficking (a felony) and pimping (a misdemeanor), he said.
Detectives are not pursuing charges against the woman and arrangements are being made to assist her, Bembry said.
“The narcotics detectives are commended for taking extra steps to validate what the female told them versus arresting her. Their efforts ended a terrible ordeal for this female who turned out to be a victim,” he said.
Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.