3 arrested, 2 victims rescued following human trafficking sting in Alpharetta – WSB Atlanta

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A recent undercover operation is part of Alpharetta police's crackdown on human trafficking.

Officers arrested three suspects over the two-day sting in April. They also saved two trafficking victims, being held against their will.

Hidden cameras inside an Alpharetta hotel room captured the interaction of undercover detectives with two young women, ages 19 and 20.

Police body camera video also captured the three suspects approached by officers in the parking lot. Investigators spoke with the man and two women.

They gave conflicting stories and police arrested all three on felony human trafficking charges for dropping off the two victims.

“We were able to determine the victims were not there freely and they were not able to leave,” said Lt. Andrew Splawn with Alpharetta Department of Public Safety.

Alpharetta police also worked with a national non-profit organization called Guardian Group that scours online advertisements and helps generate trafficking leads for law enforcement.

“We focus on finding the victim and getting them separated from this life that they're caught up in, getting them the care they need,” said Guardian Group COO Nathan Prussian.

This is the first time the group has worked in the metro Atlanta area, but they know it is a hub for human trafficking around the Southeast and country.

“There's thousands of people every day advertised, in Atlanta, for sale,” Prussian said.

The three suspects said they are not from the Atlanta area. Javaris Chestang, 27, Deajah Green, 28, and Trinity Lawrence, 22, all face felony human trafficking charges and are locked up in the Fulton County jail.

The two trafficking victims were offered aftercare and services, but because they are not minors they were released to return home in another part of the state.

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