AUGUSTA, Ga. – An Augusta woman finds herself behind bars following serious allegations of teen trafficking.

Authorities arrested Monica Daughtery at the Comfort Inn and Suites located on Jimmy Dyess Parkway on October 20th. She faces charges that include three counts related to the Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude, in addition to violations for driving with a suspended license and lacking proof of insurance.

This troubling case highlights ongoing worries among local leaders about the escalating issue of human sex trafficking. Each year, thousands across the United States fall victim to this heinous crime. Unfortunately, Georgia, particularly the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), has become a hotspot where these incidents occur at an unsettling frequency.

Local agencies are actively engaging in discussions to find effective solutions to combat this growing menace and protect vulnerable populations from exploitation.

Thousands of people across the country are victims of sex trafficking each year.

But Georgia and the CSRA is one of the areas that it’s happening at an alarming rate, and local agencies are talking solutions to address this growing problem. 

Reports allege Daughtery trafficked a 16-year-old girl from Clayton County who’s been missing for two months.

The sex trafficking issue is drawing attention from Augusta commissioner Don Clark, claiming at Tuesday’s meeting that Richmond County leads the state in sex trafficking cases. 

“Several years ago, Augusta was number two in the state when it comes to sex trafficking, Atlanta was number one,” Clark said.

Data from the FBI shows there’s been more than 200 victims of human sex trafficking in Georgia over the last 5 years, with the majority of those victims ranging in age from 10 years old to 19 years old.

Kate Crockett is the director for the Child Advocacy Center at Child Enrichment. 

“These are typically people they know, maybe they’re recruited by other youth, because that often happens too. They’re like hey, do you want to escape this life, I know a way for you to make money. But then once they’re in it, they can’t leave it because of that threat of violence—and there’s really no one there to protect them if they leave it,” said Crockett.

She says many victims are children running away from home trying to find an outlet.

One of the places transactions happen the most are hotels—the same place Daughtery was arrested Wednesday. 

“Normally it is just down the street, but then we have a lot of kids in hotels. So, a lot of the hotels that we have around our area—these things happen within those hotels too,” Crockett said.

Youth recruitment is also a major factor that Child Enrichment sees when they interview children involved in these cases.

“If there is an investigation, we do a forensic interview, and they will talk about going into a hotel with someone, and that’s how those kinds of things happen. But, there’s also a lot of youth recruitment. So, if they happen to meet each other, they meet each other in different facilities, and they’re like hey, if you need a way out and make some money, join me in Augusta and we’ll do this thing,” she added.

Child Enrichment says the best prevention starts with creating a safe environment in the home, but it also takes extra community support to help parents and guardians. 

“I think a big part of it is that they feel exhausted. They feel like they’re not receiving support to help them with their kids’ behaviors. I feel like it really takes more community support and helping them with these children,” said Crockett.

“It’s something that we really need to truly work towards addressing, and removing ourselves from such a prominent spot on the list in the state,” Clark said.

Daughtery is currently in the Columbia County Jail. 

Child Enrichment does have resources available that you can find by clicking here.

We reached out to the FBI regarding the Clark’s claim that Richmond County leads the state in sex trafficking cases.

A spokesperson said that didn’t sound accurate. 

If you do suspect human trafficking, you’re encouraged to contact the FBI hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or text 233733.