Human trafficking along the Highway 59 corridor, especially with our close proximity to Houston, is something that happens all to frequently in east and southeast Texas.  The battle is uphill, but it's always good to hear that one of these supposed traffickers is off the streets.

According to a news release, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Criminal Investigations Division, with the assistance of the Lumberton Police Department and Texas Rangers (DPS), arrested a California man on charges of trafficking of persons, a felony offense, on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Dillon Ellis, is accused of traveling from California to Texas, where he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old juvenile and had intentions of taking the victim back to California.

Ellis used social media to engage with the child, eventually soliciting illicit images. Investigators believe Ellis was actively communicating with at least three other juveniles on social media and the details of those conversations are part of this ongoing investigation.

This investigation is still ongoing.

It was back in early October that deputies with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Highway 59 just south of Nacogdoches.  During that stop, a young girl was discovered in the back seat of the vehicle.  It was later determined that the two men in this vehicle were from Houston and allegedly taking the 14-year-old girl for human trafficking intentions.  It was later discovered that the young teenage girl had been reported missing from the Marshall, Texas area.

Always be mindful of your surroundings and never think twice about reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.

 

You Can Own This Wild West Town

There's a fully functioning reproduction of a wild west town for sale in Colorado that you have to see to believe!

More From Newstalk 860