St.. Pete Police Say Trafficking Victim Kept In Filthy Trailer

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- During a joint press conference Monday, Attorney General Ashley Moody and St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway announced that six men and one woman were arrested following an eight-month human trafficking investigation.

The seven people are accused of trafficking a 15-year-old boy from Marion County.

“This case is just one example of how I will work daily with my Office of Statewide Prosecution and Florida’s great law enforcement officers to combat human trafficking and rescue survivors," said Moody. "The teenage victim in this case was lured away from his family with promises of a better life. Instead, he was moved into a filthy trailer and used as a slave for nearly a year. As a mother, I cannot even begin to express how disturbing the facts of this case are to me.”

According to the investigation, in April 2017, the teen expressed unhappiness at home to an acquaintance, Eleanor McGlamory. McGlamory introduced the boy to two friends, Mark Dennis and Andrew Dennis, living in Pinellas County. Several weeks later, the Dennises picked the boy up and brought him to Pinellas County.

The boy’s mother found a note from her son saying he was gone and to not try to find him. The mother immediately reported her son missing to the Marion County Sheriff’s office.

The Dennises reportedly moved the boy into a filthy trailer covered in animal feces occupied by the Dennises, Curtis Gruwell and Michael Schwartz. During the 11 months living with the four men, the teen did not attend school and had no medical care. Police said he received inhumane treatment at the hands of the men along with associates Michael Blasdel and J.R. Gauthier.

St. Petersburg police found the teen's location on May 8 while investigating the disappearance of another victim from Louisiana. Mark Dennis, Andrew Dennis, Gruwell and the teen were present when police visited the trailer. Mark Dennis claimed to be the child’s biological father, but when asked for proof, he did not provide documentation.

The Division of Children and Families removed the boy from the trailer. He is receiving specialized trauma care for victims of human trafficking at a Florida safe house.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Marion County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.

Mark Dennis, Andrew Dennis, Schwartz, Blasdel, Gauthier and McGlamory are charged with conspiracy to commit human trafficking and interference with custody. Mark Dennis, Andrew Dennis, Blasdel and Gauthier are also charged with sexual battery.

Statewide Prosecutor Julie Sercus will prosecute the case.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and as one of her first acts as Florida Attorney General, Ashley Moody said she's cracking down on "modern-day slavery."

“Human trafficking is a plague that we cannot give up on combating in our state and nationwide," she said. "It is appalling anyone would engage in acts that take away people’s basic human rights. As your attorney general and chair of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, I will continue to work with federal, state and local partners to continue the fight to end human trafficking.”

Human trafficking is a form of slavery that encompasses trading humans for commercial sex trafficking, exposure and forced labor. According to the International Labor Organization, for every 1,000 people in the world, more than five victims endure modern slavery.

As of June 30, Florida ranked third highest in the number of human trafficking calls through the National Human Trafficking Hotline for the year.

Moody is asking Floridians to take an active role in this fight by spotting possible human trafficking signs, including physical injuries, such as burns, dental issues, disorientation, scars, tattoos, etc.;· people displaying fear, anxiousness, paranoia or who are reluctant to discuss injuries;· people speaking as if coached and allowing someone else to speak for them; and· people suffering from drug addiction, infections or sleep deprivation.

Anyone who suspects or witnesses human trafficking should contact local law enforcement or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.

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