Human Trafficking Ring Based Out Of NE Philadelphia

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What has been a year long investigation turned to be a human trafficking ring based out of Northeast Philadelphia. This resulted in a 22 person arrest.

Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the arrest of 52 year old Terrance Jones on Tuesday. He is facing multiple charges, including involuntary servitude and trafficking individuals. Investigators said Jones had been trafficking young women since at least 2012.He is accused of posing as a woman named “Julie” or “Julia” and recruiting women struggling with addiction into his scheme.

“Jones and his team took advantage of young, vulnerable women and exploited their suffering to line their own pockets.” Said Henry. “By presenting himself as a woman, coupled with the victims’ inability to make informed decisions while intoxicated, Jones was able to lure and trap easily manipulated women into his scheme.” Investigators also said Jones used drivers to pick up the women and bring them to commercial sex buyers.

Police arrested three other drivers, James Rudolph, Rhaheem Hill, and Joseph Franklin, and Jones’ daughter, Natoria Jones, who they said handled payments. Police said in several cases Jones himself assaulted the women at his home.

The attorney general’s office charged 16 commercial sex buyers in order to cut off the demand for human trafficking.

Jones is being held on $2 million bail.