ATLANTA — Georgia's attorney general on Friday announced a conviction in the first case brought by a specialized human trafficking prosecution unit formed in the AG's office two years ago.
Attorney General Chris Carr said in a release that a guilty verdict had been returned in a Cobb County trial at the end of September against two people, who had each faced two counts of "trafficking of persons for sexual servitude."
Two men had been accused of taking a 16-year-old girl to a Cobb County hotel to have her "perform sex acts with a man who they had been communicating with over an online chat application."
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The man they were messaging with, however, was an undercover Cobb County officer who was working with an FBI task force.
The 16-year-old girl was recovered at the hotel, while the two men were found at a nearby gas station. They claimed they were only giving her a ride and had no knowledge of any arrangement for sexual services.
“This result shows the State of Georgia’s commitment to protect children from exploitation,” Carr said in a statement. “This is a historic win for Georgia and we are sending a message to buyers and traffickers that you will be stopped and held accountable for these wicked acts.”
The two convicted men will be sentenced on Oct. 8 next week. According to the attorney general's release, they could face a maximum of life in prison.