BOSTON, S.C. (WCSC) – An indictment unsealed last week in federal court in Boston charged six people from South Carolina for their alleged involvement in a sex trafficking conspiracy that victimized two children and one adult.

Christy Parker, 26, of Fall River; Alexander Smalls, 25, of Beaufort County; Cory Primo, 42, of Fall River; Avvani Jeffers, 22, of Fall River; Tre’sean Reid, 21, of Beaufort County; and Tyreik Reid, 20, of Allendale, S.C., were indicted on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, according to District of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney spokesperson Christina DiIorio-Sterling.

Jeffers is currently detained pending a detention hearing on Monday. Parker and Primo will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on Monday. Smalls is awaiting trial in South Carolina and will be arraigned in Boston at a later date. Tyreik Reid will appear in US District Court in South Carolina for a detention hearing on Wednesday.

Tre’sean Reid is currently a fugitive, DiIorio-Sterling said.

Prosecutors say the adult victim was trafficked throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and South Carolina. The defendants allegedly kept all the profits for their own financial gain and used threats and violence to maintain control over the victims.

Court documents allege that between January and August of 2023, Parker and Smalls worked together with help from Primo, Jeffers and Smalls’ brothers, Tre’sean and Tyreik Reid, in a scheme to coerce one adult victim and two child victims to engage in commercial sex in Massachusetts and surrounding states for their exclusive financial gain.

Prosecutors say that in early 2023, Parker reached out to the adult victim, indicating she was homeless and needed a place to live. After moving in with the victim, Parker and her boyfriend, Smalls, allegedly coerced the victim to quit her job and begin engaging in commercial sex, they say.

Parker and Smalls allegedly forced the victim to sign a “profit sharing contact,” which required the victim to “remain loyal and humble and stay focused,” DiIorio-Sterling said. Parker and Smalls then allegedly forced the victim to engage in commercial sex, including scheduling and coordinating commercial sex acts and setting prices, and took all of the profits.

Prosecutors allege Parker used physical violence, threats of violence and other threats to maintain control and that in the spring of 2023, Parker traveled with the victim to South Carolina where she continued sex trafficking the victim and collected all of the profits.

Upon returning from South Carolina, Parker allegedly enlisted help from Primo and Jeffers to traffic the victim throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, prosecutors say.

Parker is also accused of trafficking a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old.

“The allegations in this case are truly chilling. One minor victim in this case was forced to engage in sex for money with many men. That young girl is someone’s daughter, she is someone’s granddaughter. It is hard to conceive of more vile conduct than what is set forth in these charges,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said. “Sex trafficking is not a distant problem – it is happening right here, in our neighborhoods, and often goes unnoticed or unreported. Our office is relentlessly pursuing individuals who inflict such exploitation and suffering simply to line their own pockets. We are using every resource at our disposal to hold perpetrators accountable and seek justice for every victim.”

“For months, these victims endured brutality and depravity allegedly at the hands of these individuals,” New England Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol said. “While these arrests are a significant step toward securing justice, we recognize that this marks only the beginning of three survivors’ paths toward recovery. HSI New England, together with law enforcement partners, is committed to ensuring all trafficking victims are given access to the programs, services and resources necessary to their future healing and success.”

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $ 250,000.

The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

A federal district court judge imposes sentences based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A metro Atlanta man died after drowning at a beach in South Carolina, according to the Horry County Coroner’s Office.

Kemal Alic, 61, of Duluth, was pulled from the ocean at Grand Strand Beach near a beach access area on Wednesday morning and taken to a hospital, WMBF, Atlanta News First’s sister station in Myrtle Beach reported.

Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Williard said Alic died from asphyxiation due to drowning.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.

South Carolina football has two wide receivers committed in the class of 2025.

The first pledge of the cycle came from Jayden Sellers, the younger brother of starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, and the speedy in-state prospect is knocking on the door of a 4-star rating.

The second was another receiver. 4-star explosive athlete Brian Rowe joined Sellers in the class, and though he is not a big-bodied pass-catcher, he plays much bigger than his listed size thanks to his ridiculous athleticism and aggressiveness as a player.

The Gamecocks are set to have a lot of turnover in the receiver room again next offseason (without considering the transfer portal or early NFL entry, Carolina will lose 5 wideouts to graduation after the 2024 season), so it would come as no surprise if USC takes a large class at the position.

One of the South Carolina football program’s receiver targets is Florida playmaker Winston Watkins. Watkins is a polarizing prospect who is rated as a 5-star and the #2 receiver in the country by Rivals but is considered a 3-star and the 66th-best wideout in the class by On3.

Throwing out the rankings disagreements, it is clear that Watkins is a shifty receiver who has an elite ability to create space and make defenders miss thanks to his quickness and elusiveness. That reality is why he is a player who has offers from some of the biggest football programs in the country.

On Thursday, Watkins released a list of his top-16 schools, and, as expected, the South Carolina Gamecocks made the cut. The Ole Miss Rebels, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Syracuse Orange, Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida State Seminoles, Indiana Hoosiers, Texas Longhorns, Florida State Seminoles, Colorado Buffaloes, Pittsburgh Panthers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Oregon Ducks, and Florida Gators make up the rest of the list. He was committed previously to Colorado.

Watkins has taken an official visit to Columbia, but with so many other schools after him, he won’t be an easy fish to reel in for wide receivers coach Mike Furrey. The Ole Miss Rebels are after him very hard and have had him on campus more recently than the Gamecocks.

You can watch some of his film here.