Arlington police, working with federal law enforcement investigators, has successfully concluded a human-trafficking case, a news release issued Friday, Sept. 19, says.
Ricky Wallace, 33, of Pawtucket, R.I. was arrested and charged federally with sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity on Aug. 29 in Pawtucket. Both charges are felonies. His alleged accomplice, Kemont Bowie, 34, of Providence, was previously arrested on similar charges.
The arrests came about after a 17-year-old girl, who resides in a group home in Arlington, accused Wallace and Bowie of forcing her into prostitution after they allegedly kidnapped her from Boston on the morning of Aug. 19.
The girl, whose name and address are being withheld because she is the victim of a crime, was able to call an official at her residential program in Arlington and request help, which led to the involvement of the Arlington Police Department, and in particular, Arlington Police Officer James Smith, who is assigned to a Federal Task Force that investigates cases of missing and exploited children.
“This is another example of exceptional police work where Officer Smith has helped a child in danger and brought their tormentors to justice,” said Arlington Police Captain Richard Flynn, the department’s investigations commander, in the release.
“Thanks to the work of Arlington Police Officer James Smith and our federal partners, one less child is being exploited and two more dangerous felons are off the streets,” Chief Fred Ryan said.
A statement in August from Peter F. Neronha, U.S. attorney for the District of Rhode Island, said Bowie allegedly took the girl from Boston’s South Station early Aug. 18 and drove her to a Pawtucket, home, where she was rescued Monday, Aug. 25, by FBI agents and police.
The Providence Journal’s website reported that Bowie is nicknamed “Daddy” and has a long criminal record in the Ocean State.
An affidavit supporting Bowie’s arrest said the girl had run away from a residential program in Massachusetts and ended up at South Station on Tuesday, where a man she knew as “King Justice” stole her money. Then, she said, he and two other men forced her into a vehicle, where Bowie and a woman nicknamed “Kitty” were waiting, the affidavit said.
She said they drove her to Pawtucket, leaving her alone for the night to baby-sit Kitty’s child, the affidavit said, and by the next day, Bowie began to put her to work.
The girl told authorities that he named her “Star” and had Kitty show her how to work as a prostitute. At first, they said she was too young to take calls from clients, and she was told to accompany Kitty as she went out and looked for johns, the affidavit said. The girl said Bowie assaulted the other woman when she declined offers.
The girl told authorities that Bowie picked up another young woman from Boston, named her “Daisy” and had the girl take her picture for backpage.com, for escort advertisements, the affidavit said.
On Monday, Aug. 25, she convinced the others to let her go for a run, the affidavit said. She took her cell phone and called a person at her residential program for help.
This story was published Friday, Sept. 19.
