Baton Rouge Teen Rescued; Human Trafficking Arrests

A 13-year-old girl reported missing from the Baton Rouge area was found alive inside a sheet-covered box in the basement of a Pittsburgh home after a multi-state manhunt and a SWAT raid by federal and local agencies. Authorities say she was groomed on Snapchat, lured with the false promise of being adopted, and bused more than 1,000 miles to Pennsylvania, where she was repeatedly sexually abused after being given alcohol and marijuana edibles. Pittsburgh police arrested 26-year-old Ki-Shawn Crumity on charges including human trafficking, sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of a child, and 62-year-old Ronald Smith was arrested in Georgia on kidnapping-related charges; other adults at the scene are under investigation and additional arrests are possible. Evidence of sexual assault was recovered, the girl was treated at a hospital and placed into the custody of Pennsylvania child welfare authorities. U.S. Marshals, the FBI, Louisiana State Police and local law enforcement credited their coordinated effort for the recovery, and Louisiana officials warned about the dangers of social media and urged parents to monitor children’s online activity as the investigation continues.