Inset: Ki-Shawn Crumity (Allegheny County Jail). Background: The Pennsylvania home where Ki-Shawn Crumity was allegedly keeping a missing teen from Louisiana inside a box in his basement (WWL).
In a troubling case that underscores the dangers of online interactions, a Pennsylvania man has been accused of luring a Louisiana teenager over 1,000 miles from her home via Snapchat. Under the pretense of facilitating her adoption by a “trusted adult,” the 13-year-old girl was drawn into a harrowing situation, police report.
The man, identified as 26-year-old Ki-Shawn Crumity, allegedly confined the teen in his basement, where he sexually assaulted her repeatedly over several days. This incident highlights the severe risks of grooming and exploitation faced by young individuals online, as noted by Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill. In a statement shared on Facebook, Murrill emphasized the tragic exploitation and abuse suffered by the victim at the hands of online predators.
Crumity now faces a series of serious charges, including trafficking individuals, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, and providing alcohol to minors. He is not alone in this grave accusation; he is one of three suspects allegedly involved in orchestrating the teen’s trafficking.
The young victim’s ordeal began in Louisiana, from where she traveled to Georgia and then to Washington, D.C., before reaching Pittsburgh alongside an adult woman. This complex journey across multiple states was tracked by authorities, with New Orleans’ CBS affiliate WWL providing detailed coverage of the case.
The case came to light on October 30, 2025, when the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Special Victims Unit received a crucial tip-off from the United States Marshals. They were informed that the missing juvenile was located at an address on the 1200 block of Davis Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. This led to a coordinated response by law enforcement.
With a federal search warrant secured by the FBI, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police SWAT executed the operation at the residence. Upon entry, authorities discovered the victim in a basement, hidden inside a box covered by a sheet, marking a disturbing conclusion to her ordeal. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the vigilance needed to protect young people from online predators.
The girl, who was reported missing last week, told investigators that Crumity gave her alcohol and marijuana edibles while sexually assaulting her multiple times a day until she was discovered, police say.
Authorities believe a man to whom Crumity introduced her first drove her to Georgia. The girl allegedly took a Greyhound bus from there to Washington.
“This is just one example of the dangers of social media and of human trafficking,” Murrill said on Facebook.
Neighbors told WWL that they saw SWAT, FBI and U.S. Marshals entering Crumity’s home and rescuing the victim. Investigators reportedly tracked her through her online activity, which showed her in Pennsylvania.
“I saw a girl — looked like a girl, very small — being pulled out,” one neighbor said.
“It’s scary,” another resident told WWL.
“Crazy, unnerving,” they added. “I’m glad they got the guy.”
Authorities were holding Crumity over the weekend in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County after he was denied bail. At least one of the other suspects, Ronald Smith, 62, of New Orleans, was arrested in Georgia and charged with simple kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
