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NEW HAVEN >> Two New York residents are being held for sex trafficking of minors after their arrest at a Milford hotel, authorities said.
Edward “Fire” Thomas, 39, and Kayla Walters, 22, were indicted on Feb. 24 by a grand jury in New Haven and were arrested Friday, federal officials said in a statement. They are both accused of conspiracy to commit the sex trafficking of a minor. In addition, Thomas was charged with two counts and Walters with one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
If found guilty, they face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
According to the federal indictment, between September 2012 and August 2013, Thomas and Walters conspired to recruit, harbor and transport a minor to engage in commercial sex acts. The indictment also accuses Thomas of recruiting, harboring and transporting a second minor to engage in commercial sex acts.
Authorities have not named the hotel where Thomas and Walters were arrested. Other details of the case were not disclosed.
Thomas and Walters appeared before US State Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford on Monday and were taken into custody.
According to A press release, Walters and Thomas were previously arrested together in October 2013 during an attempted prostitution at the Stratford Conference Center and Hotel on Lordship Boulevard. Police said an undercover detective responded to an online post offering sex with two women for $ 350. The Stratford detective posed as a client, walked into the room and was let in by one of the women in the online publication, the statement said.
Police said Thomas was in the hotel room with Walters and another woman and claimed to be their “manager”. An infant was also found in the room, along with evidence of recent marijuana use, police said. Thomas has been charged with risk of injury to a minor, promoting prostitution and possession of marijuana.
Walters has been charged with prostitution, risk of injury to a minor and possession of marijuana.
Charges against the two are pending, according to state court records.
The most recent case is currently under investigation by the FBI and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Stratford and Milford Police participated in the investigation.
The task force is based in New Haven and investigates Internet crimes against children and provides computer forensic examination services to participating agencies. To report child exploitation crimes, federal authorities say to contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
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