MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Two Memphians remained in a Biloxi, Miss. jail Monday night, charged with human trafficking after investigators say they posted an ad on a popular escort website.
Biloxi Police say Eric Allen Underwood and Dominique Yvonne Watkins were arrested late last week after a police task force targeting escort service websites responded to an ad. In the ad, obtained by abc24.com, a woman going by the name Danielle offers "companionship" for $75 for a 1/2 hour and $125 for an hour.
"It is a game of numbers, they know that there are thousands, tens of thousands, maybe 100s of thousands of ads posted a month," said Ryan Dalton, with Operation Broken Silence, an organization that works to crack down on sex trafficking.
Investigators say they've been able to trace the two from Memphis to Jackson, Miss., to Biloxi.
According to an arrest affidavit, Underwood and Watkins "recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, and provided and obtained the forced labor and services" of a woman.
"It is very common for traffickers to move victims between cities; it is a really common isolation technique," Dalton said.
"Traffickers aren't afraid of being caught. They operate with impunity, they are fearless," he added.
Investigators say they hope motel owners and operators in the Mid-South might recognize Underwood and Watkins from their booking photos and call police.
Both remained in the Harrison County Jail Monday night. Both also face prostitution and drug charges.
