When Michigan State Police offered assistance to a driver and his passengers whose vehicle had broken down, they stumbled upon a distressing situation last week, according to authorities. Two human trafficking victims, originally from Ohio, were discovered during the encounter.
The troopers decided to help the driver, 30-year-old Javonte Kentrell Odom, on the eastbound lanes of I-96 near Old Plank Road in Oakland County around 3:10 a.m. on November 2. Something didn't add up because the stories told by Odom and his two passengers, a 16-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman, didn't match.
Upon further investigation, the police determined that one of the females had been reported missing from a group home, and the three of them were staying at a hotel close to the freeway.
Odom and the two females were taken to the MSP post, where the authorities continued their inquiry. The trio had apparently traveled through multiple states before encountering problems on I-96. Law enforcement officials conducted searches of their phones and the vehicle, which revealed disturbing discoveries, including child pornography and advertisements for commercial sex, with one of the ads allegedly posted while they were stranded on the freeway.
MSP F/Lt Mike Shaw commented on the situation, saying, "These troopers recognized that something wasn’t right at this car assist. Often we are asked why we ask so many questions during stops. This is exactly why. Two young ladies rescued from an abusive situation. Great work by troops and our TAG detectives."
Odom, hailing from Toledo, is now facing a range of serious charges, including human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity, transporting a person for the purpose of prostitution, child sexually abusive activity, using a computer to commit a crime, distributing child sexually abusive material, and possession of child sexually abusive material. He is currently detained in the Oakland County Jail with a bond set at $500,000.
The 19-year-old woman was provided assistance with repairing her vehicle and subsequently released, while the 16-year-old was handed over to Child Protective Services in Ohio.
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