Three indicted in Houston County for human trafficking of 13-year-old

Attorney General Chris Carr announced Thursday that three people have been indicted in Houston County on charges related to the trafficking of a 13-year-old girl in Warner Robins.

ATLANTA (41NBC/WMGT) – Attorney General Chris Carr announced Thursday that three people have been indicted in Houston County on charges related to the trafficking of a 13-year-old girl in Warner Robins.

Emma-Lee Garcia, Noe Borromeo Hernandez and Brian Smith face multiple charges following an investigation by the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

“We’re fighting to combat human trafficking in every corner of our state because protecting Georgia’s children is our top priority,” Carr said. “Whether a buyer or a seller, those who engage in the sexual exploitation of a child will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We won’t rest in our pursuit of justice for survivors, and we will continue to send a strong message that Georgia’s children are not for sale.”

The investigation began after the child reported being sold for sex in Warner Robins. The indictment alleges that Garcia, of Warner Robins, advertised and sold the child for commercial sex and profited financially. 42-year-olds Hernandez, of Kathleen, and Smith, of Perry, are accused of buying the child for sex, with Smith allegedly soliciting the child later.

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Perry Police Department, Warner Robins Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service assisted with the arrests.

The Houston County Grand Jury handed down the following charges:

• Emma-Lee Garcia is charged with five counts of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude.
• Noe Borromeo Hernandez faces one count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, one count of statutory rape and two counts of child molestation.
• Brian Smith is charged with two counts of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, one count of statutory rape and one count of child molestation.