A 13-year-old girl who vanished from Louisiana was discovered days later inside a box covered with a sheet in the basement of a Pittsburgh home, ending a multi-state search that began with a Snapchat message and led to allegations of kidnapping, trafficking and sexual assault.
U.S. Marshals said the girl, who was reported missing from East Baton Rouge Parish in October, was lured across several states before being found, leading to at least two arrests, according to WAFB.
Ki-Shawn Crumity, 26, was arrested Thursday at his home on Davis Avenue after a police SWAT team executed a search warrant and discovered the girl hidden in the basement.
A second man, Ronald Smith, 62, of New Orleans, was arrested in Columbus, Georgia, on charges of simple kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
The week-long investigation began in Louisiana with the reported disappearance of the girl, who has not been publicly identified.
According to police documents, the girl met Crumity on Snapchat. He allegedly told her he “was to get her adopted by a trusted adult,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by CBS News. Smith and another man reportedly transported the girl from Baton Rouge to Georgia and then placed her on a Greyhound bus to Pittsburgh.
At the bus station in Washington, D.C., she encountered a woman who asked if she needed help. The girl agreed and messaged Crumity, informing him she was bringing a friend to Pittsburgh.
They arrived in Pittsburgh and, police said, the girl, the woman and Crumity all slept in the same bed in the basement of the Davis Avenue home.
The complaint alleges that Crumity provided the girl with edibles and alcohol and sexually assaulted her “at least once or twice a day” during the week she was held there.
She told investigators that Crumity admitted “he knew she was a runaway” and that “he would get in trouble,” according to court documents.
On Thursday, the FBI obtained a search warrant and the home was raided by a police SWAT team after the Pittsburgh Police Special Victims Unit received a report from the U.S. Marshals Service about a juvenile who went missing from Louisiana.
The girl later told authorities that being at the hospital after her rescue was “the safest she ever felt,” according to the criminal complaint.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill praised the investigative efforts that led to the girl’s recovery. “Very proud of my LBI agents in helping to locate this child,” Murrill said. “She was groomed, exploited, and then sexually abused by strangers who found her online. This is just one example of the dangers of social media and of human trafficking.”
Crumity faces an extensive list of charges, including trafficking in individuals, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and selling or furnishing alcohol to a minor. He remains held without bond at the Allegheny County Jail.
Officials said further arrests and additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.
The case highlights growing concerns about online predators using social media platforms to target vulnerable minors. Law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned parents about the dangers children face on applications like Snapchat, where predators can establish contact with young people and gradually manipulate them through a process known as grooming.
The multi-state nature of the investigation required coordination among multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburgh Police Special Victims Unit and local authorities in Georgia. The collaborative effort demonstrated the complexity of cases involving child exploitation and trafficking across state lines.
The discovery of the girl in a covered box in a basement underscores the severity of her captivity and the conditions she endured during her time away from home. Her statement to investigators about feeling safest at the hospital after rescue suggests the trauma she experienced during her ordeal.
Authorities continue to investigate the full scope of the alleged trafficking operation, including the roles of all individuals involved in transporting the girl across multiple states. The involvement of multiple suspects in different locations suggests a network that facilitated the girl’s movement from Louisiana through Georgia and ultimately to Pennsylvania.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities children face online and the sophisticated methods predators employ to exploit them. Law enforcement officials encourage parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and maintain open communication about online safety.
independent.co
