CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte man was charged Monday with trafficking a 17-year-old girl in Wake County, police said, WTVD reported.
Lorenza Jenkins, 32, was charged with human trafficking of a child, possession of marijuana and heroin, and holding a child in sexual servitude.
Jenkins is accused of holding the 17-year-old in sexual servitude and profiting from the prostitution of her between May and June 2019, according to police.
Authorities said the victim was found at a Raleigh hotel.
“They’re (trafficker) taking care of them as property and investing in them as property because that’s how they use them," said Lance Olive, who serves on the board of Shield North Carolina, an anti-trafficking organization and started the Red X podcast to raise awareness about human trafficking.
More than 4,000 human trafficking cases have been reported in the Carolinas since 2007, according to the Salvation Army of Wake County.
“If there are people you know that may be getting pulled into this, some of the warning signs would be withdrawal from family, friends, church, community and extracurricular activities,” said Olive.
Jenkins is being held at the Mecklenburg County jail with bail set at $150,000. He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 24.
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