Miami Gardens, FL (November 16, 2018) - A Miami Gardens man was arrested on Thursday and charged with human trafficking after he picked up two women outside of a Palm Beach County rehabilitation center.
Johnnie Randell Wilson Pigatt allegedly offered the two women a place to stay upon their release from the rehab center. According to their statements once they arrived they were beaten, forced into prostitution, and held against their will. The women were finally located at a house that was less than a minute walk from a local elementary school. As of right now, authorities believe Pigatt used backpage.com to .start a brothel out of the house.
Florida Human Trafficking Laws
An estimated 20 million men, women, and children from around the world have fallen victim to human trafficking. The state of Florida ranks third in the United States in terms of the number of victims, more than half of which are under the age of 18. Both state and federal laws have criminalized human trafficking which is defined as “the transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring, providing, or obtaining of another person for transport; for the purposes of forced labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation using force, fraud and/or coercion.”
If you have been accused of participating in human trafficking, then it is important that you retain legal counsel as soon as you possibly can. Here at Musca Law, our attorneys have a thorough working knowledge of Florida’s sex crime laws. We will be able to handle your case with professionalism, diligence, and efficiency. Human trafficking cases are often very complicated and may involve one or more additional criminal charges. In addition to being required to register as a sex offender, you could also be facing charges of forgery, coercion, conspiracy, and fraud. If you have been charged with human trafficking reach out to the staff here at Musca Law. Put our 150 combined years worth of skill and experience to work for you. Give us a call at (888) 484-5057. Don’t go down without a fight!