Criminal charges are filed in Southfield human trafficking case

Two face charges for physically assaulting, forcing woman to work as a stripper in southeast Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on Monday announced that his Human Trafficking Unit has filed criminal charges against Vinson Alexander, 30, of Florida, who is accused of human trafficking and allegedly assaulting a young woman, after forcing her to work as a stripper in Southeast Michigan. Vinson's accomplice, Taryn Johnson, 27, of Tennessee, also faces a human trafficking charge. The charges result from an investigation by Southfield Police Department with assistance from the FBI through the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force (SEMCAC). ''Our Constitution's 13th amendment bans slavery in all its forms, but human traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to exploit victims right here in Michigan,'' said Schuette. ''It's time to stop the horrifying reality that our own citizens are bound in the chains of modern day slavery. Our daughters, friends, and neighbors are forced into prostitution, domestic servitude and other forced labor by criminals who take advantage of them." Vinson Alexander is accused of enslaving a young woman and forcing her to work as a stripper in southeast Michigan since December 2012. Alexander's accomplice, Taryn Johnson, allegedly recruited the 18 year-old victim, luring her with promises of a good salary. Alexander allegedly collected all her earnings, and used threats and violence to control the victim when she resisted. On February 21, it is alleged Alexander violently assaulted the victim, resulting in serious injury. Alexander and Johnson were arrested in Southfield on February 22 by the Southfield Police Department. Both are next due in 46th District Court for a pre-exam conference on March 1 and a preliminary exam on March 8. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2,515 incidents of human trafficking were recorded nationwide between January 2008 and June 2010. Of those incidents, 1,016 involved the sexual exploitation of a child, 1,218 involved the sexual exploitation of adults, and 350 involved labor trafficking. The Michigan law banning Human Trafficking went into effect on August 24, 2006. The law was strengthened in 2010, with those changes taking effect on April 1, 2011. Updates to the law included: adding human trafficking to the list of predicate offenses that fall under the state racketeering law, authorizing additional court-ordered restitution for trafficking victims, and stronger penalties. Since its launch in 2011, Schuette's Human Trafficking Unit has secured five human trafficking convictions. Published: Thu, Feb 28, 2013