Accused trafficker raped girl to resolve debt owed by family, US police say

Sixteen-year-old tells police Juven Pineda treated her like a ‘prisoner’ and threatened to harm family in Honduras An accused sex trafficker allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl to resolve a $13,500 debt that he claimed she and her family owed him, according to Louisiana police. Juven Pineda, 34, faces charges of second-degree rape and human trafficking after his capture in North Carolina and recent transfer to the custody of investigators in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, who had obtained a warrant to arrest him. A bail commissioner on 10 June ordered Pineda held without bond pending the outcome of the case against him, which investigators say starkly illustrates the grim realities of human trafficking. Police in Kenner said in a media statement that Pineda’s arrest was “an important reminder that human trafficking often occurs behind closed doors, and victims are frequently afraid to come forward”. Kenner police chief Keith Conley added in a statement: “If you see something, say something. Human trafficking thrives in silence. “A single phone call could help save a victim from exploitation and abuse.” In a sworn statement prepared separately, investigators said they were provide