ATLANTIC CITY – A teenage girl was allegedly trafficked by a couple to an Atlantic City casino and other locations in order for clients to pay to have sex with her, police said.
The 14-year-old girl was taken into protective custody on Nov. 27, 2019, according to the Attorney General’s Office. She arrived at a hotel as arranged and offered to have sex with an undercover detective. She was immediately connected with support services.
She was not related to the couple who were charged in the trafficking.
Tiffany N. Davis, 39, of Egg Harbor Township, and Derrick V. Ross, 26, of Atlantic City, were arrested on the following charges: Human Trafficking (1st degree); Promoting Prostitution of a Child Under 18 (1st degree); and Endangering the Welfare of a Child (2nd degree).
Davis is also charged with Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking (1st degree).
Ross was arrested on Nov. 27, 2019, and Davis on Jan. 17, 2020.
A third defendant was arrested on Jan. 28, 2020. Kurt C. Young, 52, of South Dennis Township, was charged for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with the teenager. He allegedly arranged with Tiffany Davis for the girl to be transported to his home for sex in exchange for money. He is a retired state corrections officer.
His charges include: Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 16 (2nd degree); and Engaging in Prostitution with a Minor (2nd degree).
Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The arrests were the result of an anti-sex trafficking investigation conducted by the New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau and the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, with assistance from the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
As part of the investigation, the State Police responded by phone to an online “escort” ad. The person who answered agreed she would meet the undercover detective at a casino hotel in Atlantic City.
“Investigating and prosecuting human trafficking is a top priority for the Attorney General’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, and law enforcement throughout New Jersey,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. “This case involves a situation that is tragically all too familiar, where a vulnerable young victim is trapped in a life of sexual slavery. We will never cease in our efforts to rescue these victims and bring those who brutally exploit them to justice.”
The first-degree human trafficking charge carries a sentence of 20 years without parole to life in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000. The other first-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is encouraged to call the Division of Criminal Justice’s confidential Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-855-END-NJ-HT.
