Community Corner

Human Trafficking Cases In The Tampa Bay Area

The Bay area has seen a number of cases in recent history.

As human trafficking continues to grow on a global scale, local law enforcement and federal agencies are pooling their resources to crack down on the crime.

The Clearwater Police Department was awarded a U.S. Department of Justice grant in 2006 to create the Clearwater Tampa Bay Area Task Force on Human Trafficking. This multi-agency task force, which includes the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, has been involved in a number of cases since its inception.

As of January 2011, the task force has made 104 arrests and has successfully had 37 convictions, according to its website.

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Some of the more recent cases the task force has been involved with in the Tampa Bay area include:

The Hunt For Eric Antwan Bell

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This convicted felon is accused of having “pimped” a 15-year-old runaway as well as other minor girls from a Tampa home beginning as early as November 2009. Bell is said to have used Craigslist and other Internet sites to solicit “work” for his prostitution business. One girl recounted that she performed 15 to 20 sexual acts each day for up to $200 each bringing in nearly $50,000 for Bell in three weeks.

Bell’s case was featured recently on “America’s Most Wanted.”

Developmentally Challenged Teen Trafficked In Hillsborough

In early 2010, officials from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement arrested Mario Alberto Laguna-Guerrero, 26, of Hillsborough County, in relation to sex trafficking of a minor. The girl, who was 16 at the time the crime is said to have occurred, is developmentally challenged, officials said.

The suspect was accused of transporting the girl to various locations in Hillsborough County so he could get paid for others to have sex with her.

"This girl was rescued from a nightmare which could only have gotten worse," said Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee at the time of the arrest. "The teamwork among law enforcement agencies cannot be underestimated when it comes to protecting children and the innocent. There is one less predator on the streets, and one more reason that this task force is so valuable."

Trafficking Ring Busted In Pinellas

This active case involved the arrest of traffickers in Pinellas County in 2009.

According to the task force, several American women were forced by their traffickers into prostitution and nude dancing. The women, officials said, were abused mentally, physically and sexually in “an attempt to control their minds.”

The women’s captors told them they would be harmed or killed if they tried to talk with anyone or made an attempt to escape, officials said.

To find out more about recent cases in the Tampa Bay area, visit the task force’s website at catfht.org.


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