Crawford County investigation into sex trafficking leads to arrest in Tennessee
On May 9, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department investigated a theft from a residence located on Oak Grove Ridge Road in Eastman Township. The Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 Unit responded and made contact with LeRoy Williams IV, 33, of Eastman.
Williams stated that he had items stolen from his residence while he was away in Tennessee. Williams said that his neighbor was the person who stole the items.
During the investigation, a woman whom Williams referred to as his girlfriend, confided in the deputy that she was being held against her will by Williams and that she was the victim of human sex trafficking. She said she was in fear of her safety and Williams had been “pimping” her out for money in La Crosse, and that they would travel to other states for the same purpose.
The woman was removed from the residence in Eastman.
During the investigation into the alleged human trafficking and forced prostitution, the woman refused to cooperate, citing fear of Williams and other gang members Williams was affiliated with in Tennessee as the reason she wouldn’t give a statement. The woman stated she only wanted to go back home to Tennessee. Based upon the lack of cooperation from the victim, Williams was not arrested. The woman was kept in a safe place until family members from Tennessee could come to Crawford County and pick her up.
On June 4, Williams was arrested in Chattanooga, Tenn. and charged with one count of sex trafficking for commercial sex act. Williams was arrested by Chattanooga police after a female victim told police she was beaten and forced to work as a prostitute. The female victim told investigators that Williams forced her to have sex for money in other states including Wisconsin, Florida and Mississippi and that Williams had utilized BackPages.Com to solicit the victim for prostitution.
The information gathered in the investigation led authorities from Tennessee to have contact with Crawford County authorities and information from the Crawford County case.
Williams is being held on a $150,000 bond in Tennessee.
