Columbia prostitution arrests result of FBI child sex trafficking investigation
Five people were arrested early last Friday morning for prostitution in Columbia at the Holiday Inn near the I-70 Lake of the Woods exit.
Last Thursday, Columbia Police assisted the FBI in an investigation into nationwide commercial child sex trafficking.
The arrests were made after contact and arrangements were made in response to an online ad.
20-year-old Antoinette Clark was arrested for prostitution with a $500 bond. 37-year-old Ebonie Brooks-Lewis and 61-year-old Barry Manthe were arrested for 3rd degree promoting prostitution with a bond of $4500 each.
22-year-old Quenten Hurt was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, 3rd degree promoting prostitution, and for felony and misdemeanor state warrants.He has bonds of $500, $4500, and $150, respectively.
Last week, the FBI with with the help of local, state, and federal law enforcement conducted an operation to investigate 7 cities across Missouri and Kansas to recover children who fell victim to prostitution. In Missouri, police investigated Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia.
Law enforcement recovered two children between ages 16 and 17 years old, and arrested 7 pimps on federal and state charges.
Throughout the entire nation, nearly 400 agencies participated in the operation, leading to the arrest of 281 pimps and the recovery of 168 child victims.
No child sex victims were identified in Columbia as a result of this investigation.
