23-Year-Old Woman Charged With Human Trafficking of Teen Girls

Kingston, Jamaica (McN) – A Kingston woman was arrested and charged with alleged involvement in human trafficking.

Police have charged 23-year-old Mary-Ann Downie, vendor of a Kingston 14 address.

Downie was charged with child trafficking, having information that a child has been sexually ill-treated, failing to report a child in need of care and protection, and living on the earnings of prostitution; following investigations by Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (Cisoca), and the anti-trafficking in persons unit of the JCF; involving two girls, 13-year-old and 14-year-old.

According to information from the Ministry of Justice, police operation visited a premises in Kingston 14 on information that two minors, who were reported missing, were living.

During the police operation, two teenage girls aged 13 and 14, both of Portland addresses were found with Mary-Ann Downie at the Kingston 14 address, they were rescued and upon further investigations confirmed to be victims of human trafficking.

Police investigators report that one of the girls revealed that they were both taken by Downie to several locations in Kingston 14, where she made them have sexual intercourse with adult men in exchange for money, which Downie took as payment.

The minors were taken to the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (Cisoca), where they were interviewed and their statements recorded.

The case was next handed over to the anti-trafficking in persons unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for further investigations.

Downie appeared in the Kingston Parish court on last Thursday to answer to the charges. The matter was adjourned.

She is due back in court on March 20.