Richard Knider Jackson, a 67-year-old man from Detroit, was recently arrested for allegedly forcing several women into prostitution. According to to U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade’s office, the female victims included three adults and two juveniles.
According to federal court records, the investigation began when a 911 call came in from a home on South Electric Street in Detroit. Officers responding to the scene found a woman who claimed that she and four others had been forced into prostitution. She named Jackson as the trafficker behind their captivity.
At the time that Detroit police officers arrived at the home, there were three adult women present in the house. Although the woman who spoke to police said that there were also two juvenile victims, they were not present in the home at the time. According to the police, the two teen girls are thought to have snuck out of the house via a bathroom window earlier that day. They have apparently still not been located by law enforcement in Wayne County.
Police investigators at the house say that the upper story of the house was separated from the ground floor by a large steel gate which blocked access between the levels. This was allegedly to prevent escape. According to the testimony provided by the three women in the house, Jackson was very violent in his treatment of them. He is also alleged to have provided them with drugs, usually heroin, in order to get them addicted.
In the book Prostitution, Trafficking and Traumatic Stress by Melissa Farley, she says that drug use is intrinsically linked to prostitution. She explains that in many cases, women in prostitution use drugs to cope with the terror and physical abuse they sustain. In some cases, however, a prostitute will be forced by a pimp or another person to take drugs to ensure that they do as they are told.
This is particularly true in the case of young people and children.
The woman also told officers that Jackson forced them to walk up and down on Michigan and Livernois Avenues in Detroit, selling themselves for money, which he then took. He is also said to have pandered them on Backpage.com. When Jackson spoke to police later on, he denied having anything to do with prostitution or trafficking. But a search of his cell phone revealed numerous conversations about specific sexual acts, locations to meet the women, and prices.
Jackson appeared recently in U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit. In that federal court, the judge decided that he will be temporarily detained until his bond hearing. The FBI is still searching for the two juveniles who managed to escape from the house on the day of the 911 call. The FBI is asking that anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the two juvenile females should please call 313-965-2323.
Prostitution, Pimping and Human Trafficking are all very serious crimes in the eyes of the law. While Jackson is being prosecuted at a federal level, he would still have been facing a long prison sentence had the charges been brought in a Michigan court. Under Michigan law, Pandering (which is also known as Pimping), Prostitution, Accosting a Minor for Immoral Purposes, and even Soliciting Sex are all against the law. Conviction for any of these crimes can result in many years of prison time and, upon release, the requirement that one register as a sex offender.
Sex crimes are some of the most serious allegations under Michigan law. If you or a loved one have been accused of a sex crime, you will want a sex crime defense attorney who is extremely aggressive and knowledgeable in this area. At the Kronzek Firm, our attorneys have many years of experience representing clients charged with Michigan and federal sex crimes. We are discreet, and understand the complexities involved here. Call us anytime, day or night, at 886 766 5245. We can help you.