Anthony D’Montrez Crawford, 29, and Kaytlynn Ann Crawford, also known as Alderman, 27, both of Eugene, Oregon, have been arrested and charged with multiple sex trafficking offenses. The charges include sex trafficking of children by force, fraud or coercion; transportation for prostitution; persuading or coercing travel to engage in prostitution; use of an interstate facility to induce or coerce a minor into prostitution; transportation of a minor for prostitution; and conspiracy.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Anthony Crawford is accused of forcing individuals to engage in prostitution in the Eugene and Springfield areas. The complaint alleges that he advertised sexual services online, negotiated prices and services with customers, rented hotel rooms for the activities, and collected money from victims through intimidation and violence. He also allegedly transported victims using rental cars to other cities such as Portland.
Kaytlynn Ann Crawford is accused of facilitating these activities by opening a car rental account used by Anthony Crawford, paying hotel bills with her bank card, and allowing customer payments to be received through a CashApp account in her name.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Seattle reportedly rescued a minor who had been forced into prostitution not only in Seattle but also in Portland and the Eugene-Springfield area. Authorities also identified an adult victim forced into similar activities in Portland and Eugene-Springfield.
Both defendants made their initial appearances in federal court. Anthony Crawford was ordered detained pending further proceedings while Kaytlynn Ann Crawford was released pending future court dates.
The FBI continues to investigate this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Huynh is prosecuting.
“This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc,” according to the press release.
“If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website,” officials said.
Authorities noted that criminal complaints are accusations only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
