VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Investigators arrested a man and accused him of sex trafficking a minor at the Oceanfront.
Pierre De Romeo Smith has been arrested and is due in Norfolk Federal Court on Thursday afternoon.
Court documents say that in May Virginia Beach Police dispatch got a tip about a girl who was being sex trafficked.
Investigators were able to make contact with an individual who arranged for a meet up at a hotel at the Oceanfront.
An undercover detective then arrived at the hotel and the detective arranged to pay the girl $350. Once the deal was made police officers entered the room and detained the girl, according to court documents.
While police were with the girl, she received a text message from someone informing her they were at the hotel. Detectives then looked out onto the parking garage and saw a black Nissan occupied by a person later determined to be Smith, according to the court documents.
Police then arrested Smith and searched his car, finding a handgun, cocaine, fentanyl, pills, and more than 30 grams of marijuana, according to court records.
They also found a hotel key matching the room where the girl was, the court records state.
Police interviewed the girl, who told them Smith had given her Ecstasy in order to stay awake for three days to engage in commercial sex, according to the court documents.
News 3 has done extensive reporting on the issue of human trafficking in Hampton Roads.
"It's most certainly heartbreaking to read and to be an advocate sometimes," said Courtney Pierce, anti-trafficking outreach and direct service coordinator with Samaritan House, an organization that helps the survivors of trafficking.
Pierce didn't comment on the case specifically, but says sex trafficking is an issue in Hampton Roads. "We do have tourism. We also have interconnecting highways, so it's easy to be in Atlanta. It's easy to be in New York," she said.
The Samaritan House helps survivors in a variety of ways, including treatment to help their bodies and minds. "We work with survivors however survivors want to be worked with," said Pierce. "It's always really hard to hear different stories, but I also want to implore our community that many of our survivors are extremely resilient."
The Samaritan House has a 24/7 crisis line people can call for help: 757-430-2120.
