A Chicago man has been arrested following a social media tip to the Cook County sheriff's Twitter account alleging he may be involved in sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl.
Kinshasha Johnson, 26, was arrested Tuesday after a Chicago law student researching prostitution became suspicious of Johnson. The student saw an advertisement from Johnson on Backpage.com featuring a girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens, sheriff's officials said. She then alerted Sheriff Tom Dart on his Twitter page, which prompted an investigation.
During the investigation, officials identified the minor as a 16-year-old girl who had recently run away from her home in Central Illinois. Sheriff's investigators then learned that she was likely with Johnson and engaging in sex acts for money in Chicago and possibly Milwaukee, according to the sheriff's office.
Johnson was charged Wednesday with involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, promoting juvenile prostitution and trafficking for labor/benefits. He is scheduled to appear in bond court Thursday.
"This investigation and arrest clearly demonstrate how the public can get directly involved in the fight against sex trafficking," Dart said in a statement. "I implore all concerned members of our community who suspect incidents of sex trafficking to work with my office via phone, email or social media."
