What began as a police chase on August 2 ended with the rescue of a 16-year-old girl by Georgia law enforcement after she had fallen victim to sex trafficking.
The operation, carried out by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, successfully led to the arrest of Anthony Holmes, a 32-year-old man from Cleveland, Ohio.
According to a Facebook post from the GCSO, Holmes was initially detained near Siloam, Georgia, following an attempt by deputies to pull him over for an equipment violation.
Instead of complying with the authorities, Holmes chose to flee the scene at high speed. Police noticed several red flags indicating sex trafficking, including a woman and a teenage girl in the vehicle.
Police later determined that the teenage girl had indeed been trafficked from South Carolina to metro Atlanta, where she was subjected to commercial sexual exploitation on multiple occasions.
The following pursuit reached speeds of up to 119 mph and crossed county lines.
Ultimately, a pursuit intervention technique (PIT maneuver) successfully immobilized Holmes’ vehicle, leading to his arrest. A warrant for his arrest was later secured on August 4, as investigators delved deeper into the case.
The rescued teenager was reported as a missing runaway from Ohio, having been previously identified as a human trafficking victim by the FBI and South Carolina authorities.
Tragically, Holmes, along with another female adult, transported the young victim from South Carolina to Atlanta, where her exploitation persisted.
“Holmes and another female adult transported the victim from South Carolina to Atlanta where her exploitation continued,” GCSO Sheriff Donnie Harrison stated.
Following the rescue, the Greene County deputies contacted the GBI’s HEAT unit to assist in the investigation, leading to further revelations about Holmes’ trafficking activities.
Holmes now faces a slew of charges, including human trafficking, fleeing and eluding, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and various traffic-related offenses. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be levied against him.
The investigation’s culmination will see the case handed over to the Georgia Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit for prosecution. This operation is a part of the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking, an initiative funded by a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant. This coalition, under the oversight of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council’s Human Trafficking Unit, aims to combat all forms of human trafficking in the state.
A crucial component of their efforts is the establishment of a statewide human trafficking hotline, accessible at 1-866-ENDHTGA.
