Human trafficking arrest
Twenty-one-year-old Samuel Ferraro has been ordered held for court on Human Trafficking, Corrupting the Morals of a Minor, Promoting Prostitution of a Minor, Criminal Coercion, Terroristic Threats, RAPE, Involuntary Deviant Sexual Intercourse, Sexual Assault, Aggravated Indecent Assault, and Indecent Assault charges this morning at a preliminary hearing in B Court.
The defendant lured a 17-year-old girl to Philadelphia from Minnesota with promises that he would take care of her and help her find a job. Instead, he took semi-nude photographs of her and posted her for sale on Craigslist. He prostituted her out for over a week to multiple men and forced her to give him all of the money.
He also repeatedly forced her to have sex with him with threats that if she did not comply he would put her out onto the streets of Philadelphia where she would surely be killed. She was ultimately located by her parents with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department's Citywide Vice Unit and was able to return home.
Ferraro is currently being held without bail, and was already on probation in Philadelphia for multiple counts of Theft for running an apartment rental scam on Craigslist. The defendant was arrested in North Dakota and extradited back to Philadelphia earlier this month. ADA Shea Rhodes is specially assigned to this case.
Investigators are concerned there may be more victims, and anyone with information on Ferraro should contact the District Attorney's Office at 215-686-5874.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has initiated a Human Trafficking law enforcement working group consisting of local, state and federal authorities in order to collaboratively investigate and prosecute all forms of Human Trafficking.
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