ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates found out why a local sex offender who had charges of trafficking teen girls thrown out is in good company.
Even after stronger laws were put in place five years ago aimed at eliminating human trafficking, investigative reporter Karla Ray learned only about one in five arrests results in a human trafficking conviction.
Even after the home where she was trafficked was torn down, local trafficking survivor Aubree Alles can still remember every room.
“It’s freeing for me, because the last time I was on this sidewalk, I was headed that way,” Alles said, pointing toward Orange Blossom Trail.
Court records show Alles was forced to prostitute for a decade, working primarily just a block away from the home where she was often locked inside, along Orlando’s Orange Blossom Trail.
“Walking down the street alone in the middle of the night, it's almost like I could feel death. If I ever felt it, it was passing these other houses over here, just knowing it was going to happen any minute,” Alles said.
Alles only escaped the life of trafficking when her trafficker died. 9 Investigates found only about one in five accused pimps is ever convicted of the charge of human trafficking in Central Florida.
Of 60 local cases since 2012, 12 people were found guilty of the charge of human trafficking, and 24 were convicted on other charges, but 24 weren’t prosecuted at all.
“This is a really nice law to have, powerful to have, the difference is you need a person to be able to testify,” FDLE Special Agent Jose Ramirez said.
Ramirez led a large portion of those cases while assigned to the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigations. He was the lead agent on the Aaron George case in 2014.
“He was arrested by MBI five times, and five times the victims walked away from the trial. They would not testify against this guy,” Ramirez said.
Two years ago, after some of George’s victims agreed to take the stand, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Securing testimony like that isn’t always possible, because it can sometimes cause more damage to an already traumatized survivor.
“Sometimes we have to make that decision,” Ramirez said.
Though convictions on other charges can bring significant prison time, Alles worries it may not be enough to stop the cycle.
“Just because this property is gone, it’s everywhere,” Alles said.
Cox Media Group
