Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that the office’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit obtained a guilty plea and 20 year prison sentence of Jevarius Torel Wisdom for charges of human trafficking, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. A Greene County Superior Court Judge accepted the plea on September 20, 2021.
This case involved a 17 year old female victim and a 21 year old male defendant. A Georgia State Patrol Trooper initiated this case from a traffic stop that occurred in 2016. The vehicle was initially stopped due to traveling at a speed over 100 mph in a 70 mph zone. The State Trooper’s recent training on human trafficking caused the Trooper to recognize the signs of human trafficking, and the Trooper reported the incident. As a result, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation initiated a human trafficking investigation.
“This result sends the message that we will not tolerate human trafficking in Georgia,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “We have maintained from the beginning that we will stand up for the most vulnerable in Georgia, and in this case we had a victim that, due to the psychological hold that the defendant maintained over her, was unable to stand up for herself. We stood up for her today.”
This result would not have been possible without the partnership of the Georgia State Patrol which initiated this case, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation which conducted the investigation and the assistance of the Office of Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale, III in the prosecution of this case.
“The outcome of this case illustrates the outstanding work of law enforcement working together to investigate domestic minor sex trafficking. The GBI is committed to investigate these cases in partnership with prosecutors to bring these violators to justice. Protecting these young victims is of utmost importance,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds.
“Members of the Department of Public Safety will not turn a blind eye or be naïve to the fact human trafficking takes place in Georgia. We will work hard every day to return the victims of human trafficking back to their families and assist in the prosecution of the defendants in these cases said, “Lt. W. Mark Riley, Public Information Director, Department of Public Safety.
The case occurred during 2016, time when Human Trafficking charges against a minor carried a maximum sentence of 20 years. Under today’s law, the Defendant’s actions could have carried a life sentence.
A summary of the charges is below:
Jevarius Torel Wisdom did knowingly harbor, transport and provide a person under the age of 18 years of age, for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46(c).
Jevarius Torel Wisdom did unlawfully have within arm’s reach of his person a Taurus handgun, a firearm, during the commission of the crime of Trafficking of Persons for sexual servitude, a felony; charged with 1 count of Possession of Firearm During Commission of a Felony, O.C.G.A. § 16-11-106.
Jevarius Torel Wisdom did knowingly and without lawful authority, transport a 9mm handgun, a firearm; accused having been convicted of a felony on Accusation Number 2012CR-2776-6, in the Superior Court of Clayton County on December 20, 2012 for the offense of Burglary – 2nd Degree and Possession of Tools for the Commission of a Crime; charged
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