GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A routine traffic stop in Twiggs County ended with the rescue of a 15-year-old Gwinnett County girl after deputies recognized warning signs they were trained to spot.
Twiggs County deputies pulled over 38-year-old Raymond Stephenson for a taillight violation on Highway 129 just before midnight on Oct. 15. The teenage girl in the passenger seat had no identification and claimed to be 17 years old, according to investigators.
Deputies noticed she appeared uncomfortable and was not answering questions. When they separated the two, they learned she was only 15.
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According to a warrant, Stephenson admitted he had picked up the girl from a Gwinnett County apartment complex and driven her 150 miles to his home in Dodge County, where he had sex with her on two previous occasions.
Camila Zolfaghari with Street Grace told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson that most trafficking cases start with predators finding children online.
“Most people looking for children to exploit online are not confined to their neighborhood,” Zolfaghari said.
Street Grace trains law enforcement across Georgia to recognize trafficking victims who may not cry out for help.
“They’re not looking for somebody who’s saying, hey, help me, help me, but usually somebody who’s being quiet or looking to the person they’re with to make sure they can talk,” Zolfaghari said.
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She said parents need to monitor any app where strangers can communicate with their children, including gaming platforms and even the Bible app.
“You’ve got to be talking to your children about talking to strangers and really being the parent and the adult,” Zolfaghari said. “I need to know who’s talking to you.”
Stephenson now faces charges in three counties including enticing a child for indecent purposes in Gwinnett County and sex charges in Dodge County. He remains in the Twiggs County Jail.
The 15-year-old has been released to her mother and will receive support services.
“We have so much support that will be given [to] her to help her go on to be a survivor and to really thrive again,” Zolfaghari said.
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