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NJ Woman Saved From Forced Prostitution After Sending Brother Facebook Message

NJ authorities say that they arrested a man who forced a woman into prostitution—and they found out because the woman was able to send a Facebook message to her brother for help. The Record reports, "The victim’s smart phone did not have service to call out when she was being held, but she was able to access Facebook and contact her brother when she was in a Wi-Fi hotspot...The brother, who lives in Florida, contacted an agency in Little Egg Harbor, where his family lives."

Apparently the victim had been in a South Jersey jail "for allegedly taking a car without the owner’s permission." An inmate said her ex-boyfriend could bail her out, but when Trenace McCarroll did bail her out, he told the 30-year-old woman that she'd have to pay him back. According to the Record, "The victim told officers she was held against her will, under threat to her life, and was forced to perform several acts of prostitution throughout Bergen County for a week and a half."

After receiving the call from the victim's brother, the Little Egg Harbor authorities told Hackensack police that the woman was being held against her will. When Hackensack cops arrived at an apartment, they found the victim, plus Trenace McCarroll's girlfriend and "marijuana and pipes." McCarroll surrendered, asking that cops not arrest his girlfriend, and was hit with charges including criminal restraint and promoting prostitution.

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Comments [rss]

  • Under federal law, someone who uses force, fraud, or coercion to make someone else engage in prostitution is a sex trafficker, and their victim is a survivor of sex trafficking with extensive rights under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. I would hope the prosecutor is using the appropriate state and federal laws and this reporter knows the different between sex trafficking and sex work.
  • Redtopp
    God Bless her! however, to take the time to sign in to FB  '911' would have been quicker...they could have tracked the fone's gps... just saying..either way, she still was a victim and he needs his nutz cut off!..again, just saying.
  • calling 911 would have been greate IF SHE HAD SERVICE, last time I checked, you can't call 911 if your phone dont have SIGNAL, and by SIGNAL I mean Cell Phone Coverage.
  • this story really does sound like it has alot of inconsistancies.
  • criminal restraint and promoting prostitution?  really?  this should carried a way larger charge
  • So she couldn't leave the apartment for a week+? Wasn't there another cellphone or a landline she could use? Did she try screaming for help so the neighbors would hear? Did she try to escape? Something in this story doesn't quite add up!
  • are you goddamn serious?
  • drkennethnoisewater
    An inmate said her ex-boyfriend could bail her out, but when Trenace McCarroll

    Black.
  • Beloved99
    There's always one in the thread, I wondered when your sorry a** would show up. Good observation b/c we all know Caucasian people aren't prostitutes, and there are nooo Caucasian men forcing Caucasian women into forced prostitution. Stick to what you know buddy, oh, but I guess that would be nothing...
  • nayerr
    Damn, you can't get away with nothing nowadays!
  • Clearly there should just be an app for that. Click here if you have been forced into prostitution.
  • Over the River
    Most people are slaves to Facebook.
  • I foresee an SVU episode...
  • splicernyc
    Only if they can combine this story WITH Farmville.
  • Too many folk asking if you'll sow their seeds in one; too many folk trying to sow seeds in the other.
  • aspiringrapper
    So aside from all of those idiotic games like Farmville, Facebook has some use?
  • schmeep
    Not really; she could have contacted him through any variety of methods- one could really argue that Wi-Fi saved her.  I'm sure FB will market the shit out of  this:

    'Facebook- We don't sell you into prostitution like Craigslist.'
  • scooterj2003
    Yeah.  The media is still treating Facebook like some novelty toy whose utility is yet to be proven. Kind of silly really.  The very technology behind Facebook is incredible enough for its own news story.

    Seems like this woman might have some legal recourse against the cell phone provider.
  • Have we really reached the point where a lack of cell phone coverage is actionable? Can you sue me now?
  • scooterj2003
    I would but I can't get in touch with you because I don't have any service :)
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