Several arrested in Philadelphia sex trafficking ring – NBC10 Philadelphia

Officials announced several arrests in connection with a Philadelphia-based human trafficking ring in which young women struggling with drug addiction were targeted, exploited and repeatedly raped, investigators say.

Terrance Jones, 52, led an operation in which he recruited drivers to escort women on “dates” with sex buyers, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry revealed during a Tuesday afternoon news conference. Investigators said at least 25 people were involved in Jones’s trafficking ring, including his own daughter.

“Like all human traffickers, he dehumanized these young women and used them as commodities to support his human trafficking enterprise,” Henry said.

Information for victims of sexual violence can be obtained through the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the National Sexual Violence Hotline at 800-656-4673.

The victim talks to the police

The investigation began in June 2021 after a tipster contacted a Pennsylvania State Police trooper stating that he or she knew of a young woman who had recently left a halfway house in South Philadelphia and was a possible victim of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. . State troopers then found the woman at a Philadelphia motel and, at her request, sent her to a sober living home. Investigators said the woman was physically and mentally impaired at the time after taking drugs for days.

The woman told investigators that while at her sober home, she searched the Internet and found the phone number of an escort agency. After dialing the number, she spoke to a person who sounded female and referred to herself as “Julie” or “Julia.” The victim claims that “Julia” asked her to describe herself and send photos. “Julia” then told the victim that the driver would pick her up and take her to various locations where she could go on “dates” with people purchasing sexual services in exchange for money.

After the victim told “Julia” that she was in a convalescent home, “Julia” told her that sex workers would supply her with drugs. The victim was told to give the driver $125 for each “date.” “Julia” also told the victim that she would be able to collect between $200 and $250 from each purchaser of sexual services per hour. “Julia” told the victim that sex workers would call the “agency” and then “Julia” would give the victim the buyer’s phone number. “Julia” also told the victim to call the buyer from the driver’s phone, whose number was blocked.

The victim told investigators that she went on multiple “dates” during the several days she worked for “Julia” and the “agency.” The victim also told investigators that the driver who took her on dates was called “Tommy.” Investigators later identified the driver as 54-year-old Thomas Reilly, whom they described as second in command in a sex trafficking organization.

Reilly allegedly took the victim on at least four “dates” before taking her back to his home, where he raped her while telling the woman he “needed something in return” because he was letting her stay at his home, investigators say. Reilly also allegedly sold the victim Xanax and marijuana. The victim told investigators she felt “trapped” in Reilly’s home and had no desire to leave.

Multiple people have been arrested in connection with a Philadelphia-area sex trafficking ring that targeted women struggling with drug addiction, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced. Details from NBC10’s Neil Fischer.

Investigation

The victim’s testimony led to a large-scale investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police. According to investigators, they discovered that “Julie” was actually Terrance Jones, who ran a sex trafficking organization out of his home on 800 Disston Street in Philadelphia.

Jones identified himself as “Julie” or “Julia” when talking to potential female victims, and only a handful of people knew his true identity, investigators say. Jones allegedly ran a sex trafficking ring since at least 2012.

Jones provided numerous telephone numbers online where potential buyers could call and arrange sex with prostitutes throughout Philadelphia, the suburbs and New Jersey, investigators say. The numbers were linked to several names, including “Girlfriends,” “Girlfriends GFE” and “GFE Girlfriends,” with “GFE” standing for “Girlfriend Experience,” investigators said.

“Jones recruited and exploited more than a dozen young women into his sex trafficking organization throughout Philadelphia, the suburbs and South Jersey,” Henry said.

According to investigators, after checking, the buyers provided their phone number to Jones, who then instructed one of the women to contact the buyer to arrange a time, location and price. Investigators say most of the prostituted women were then taken to the location by drivers including Reilly, James Rudolph, Joseph Franklin and Rhaheem Hill. Investigators say several women who worked for Jones for an extended period of time may also have gone on dates. While most of the money from each date was given to the drivers and Jones, some money was also given to the women, depending on their relationship with Jones, investigators said. Jones allegedly received the money in the form of cash deposits and electronic transfers.

Officials say Jones’ adult daughter, Natoria Jones, knowingly aided her father’s organization by handling many of the electronic payments sent from prostituted women and drivers.

According to investigators, before the coronavirus pandemic, Jones had sex with prostituted women as part of an “interrogation.” Posing as “Julie,” Jones told his victims he was going to the home of a longtime client who had already paid electronically for his “date,” officials said. One of the drivers then took the woman to Jones’ home. According to investigators, after the “date” ended, Jones – posing as “Julie” – called the victim and asked how it went. Officials said Jones stopped having sex with the victims during the pandemic.

Investigators found that almost all of the prostituted women suffered from varying degrees of substance abuse, which Jones knowingly exploited. Officials say that from January 20, 2023, to February 10, 2023, Jones’ organization organized 83 “dates” involving 42 sex buyers and 15 different prostitutes.

Terrance Jones arrested

Jones was arrested on Friday, October 18, 2024. He faces charges of human trafficking, corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, involuntary servitude, aggravated assault and other related crimes.

Jones’ bail was set at $2 million. Court documents confirming his legal representation were not immediately available online.

According to Henry, in addition to Jones, Reilly, Rudolph, Franklin, Hill and Natoria Jones, police also arrested 16 sex workers, or “Johns,” in connection with the human trafficking ring.

“The demand for commercial sex incites and motivates predators like Terrance Jones to exploit women’s bodies for their greed,” Henry said. “People who are willing to pay other people – let’s say what it is most often – men paying other men to exploit the bodies of young women, defenseless women and girls for their own benefit, are leading to the human crime of human trafficking. We decided to charge buyers in this case because to end human trafficking we need to reduce demand. One way to do this is to discourage potential buyers from engaging in this illegal activity.”

Anyone who may have been a victim of Jones or any sex trafficking organization can contact the Pennsylvania State Police hotline at 215-452-5239. They can also contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

The ongoing problem of sex trafficking

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, nearly 17,000 victims were identified nationwide last year. But this number is only a fraction of the real number of victims.

“The word I would use is ubiquitous. It’s in every neighborhood. This is happening in Philadelphia County. This is happening in Montgomery County, Bucks County, Delaware County. It’s happening everywhere,” said Sister Meaghan Patterson.

Sister Meaghan Patterson knows the realities of sex trafficking. She is the executive director Dawn’s Place, a Philadelphia shelter for victims of sex trafficking.

“There is one statistic that says about 1% of people who are trafficked escape and get help, which is tragic when you think that it’s a $150 billion industry and yet so many women, men and children suffers from this,” Patterson said. “This is a terrible crime against human rights.”

Ann Marie Jones knows firsthand what it’s like to be a victim of human trafficking. She spent 14 years as a victim of human trafficking and shared her experiences and how she got out.

“It was more than a nightmare. “I can’t even explain what it was like to live there, to be constantly controlled and beaten, to have nothing, to live in abandoned houses with rats and God knows what else is in there, and still hear that I love you,” Jones recalled. “I was so manipulated and blinded by everything he told me. If he told me the sky was purple, I believed it was purple because I trusted him.”

It took a while for Jones to get completely off the streets, but she eventually did and got help.

“I ended up getting pregnant by him and I remember sitting behind an abandoned house, crying, praying and asking God to get me out of it. Something picked me up off the ground and I ran to the hospital and told them I was pregnant and needed help,” Jones said.

Jones wants victims of sex trafficking to know that there are people in places like churches, hospitals and shelters who are ready to help.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general announced that a years-long investigation has dismantled a human trafficking ring in Philadelphia. NBC10’s Johnny Archer spoke with the executive director of Dawn’s Place, a shelter for sex trafficking victims and survivors, to shed light on how serious a problem this really is.

Blue campaign of the Department of Social Services provides a list of signs of human trafficking to look for, such as:

• Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?
• Is the person timid, shy or submissive?
• Does the person often spend time with someone they report to? Or maybe someone who seems to be in control of the situation?
• Does the person seem to have been instructed on what to say?

If you OR someone you think is a victim of human trafficking, you can call the Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 for immediate help.