Prosecutors: Somali gangs ran sex ring in 3 states

The Minneapolis-based traffickers forced females as young as 14 into prostitution, indictment charges

Published November 8, 2010 8:15PM (EST)

Twenty-nine people have been indicted in a sex trafficking ring spanning three states and allegedly run by Minneapolis-based Somali gangs.

An indictment unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Nashville says one of the goals of the gangs was to recruit females under age 18, including some under age 14, and force them into prostitution in exchange for cash, drugs or other items.

The indictment says the sex ring operated in Minneapolis, Nashville, and Columbus, Ohio.

The indictment outlines several instances of prostitution. In one case in 2005, a girl under age 14 was transported from Minneapolis to Columbus and Nashville for sex. In other cases, the girls were forced to engage in sex acts in hotel rooms, men's bathrooms and other locations.


By Amy Forliti

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