Teen Rescued from Alleged Sex-Trafficking Ring After Tip from Minor

METRO DETROIT, MI — A Southfield teenager was rescued earlier this week after a Macomb County man allegedly recruited her for online sex. The man, Andrew Golden, of Sterling Heights, now faces sex trafficking charges that could send him to prison for 20 years, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said.

Golden, who was arrested Dec 14 after an investigation that spanned several states, was arraigned Friday in Southfield’s 46th District Court on a charge of human trafficking— recruiting a minor for commercial sexual activity. Magistrate Robin Dillard-Russaw set his bond at $200,000/10 percent.

Schuette said in a news release that Ohio authorities tipped off the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes task force regarding possible trafficking of a minor female from Southfield on Dec. 13 after another teen who allegedly had been recruited for prostitution turned him in.

The tip came from a 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl, who alleged to authorities that she had been picked up by Golden and the Southfield teen several weeks earlier in New Jersey, Schuette said.

Golden allegedly told both teens that he would be taking them to Michigan, where he would post their pictures in advertisements for commercial sex. On Dec. 14, authorities discovered a posting concerning an individual who matched the description of the Southfield teen on the website Backpage.com under the “adult entertainment: escorts” category, Schuette said.

The Southfield teen was rescued on Dec. 14 after agents conducted an undercover operation, and Golden was arrested the same day at a hotel in Southfield.

“This case continues to highlight the sickening reality that human trafficking is happening right here in Michigan, every day,” Schuette said in the news release. “I want to applaud the quick work of all the law enforcement and investigative teams in acting on this tip and rescuing a young woman from this horrible situation.”

Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins said the case illustrates that “human trafficking is very real and it happens closer to home than many realize.”

“I was glad to see a dangerous individual taken off the street,” Hawkins said in the news release. “Our department will continue to work with all levels of law enforcement to eradicate human trafficking in our community.”

David P. Gelios, special agent in charge of the Detroit Division of the FBI, said protecting America’s youth “crimes that go beyond traditional physical boundaries into the cyber realm” is a top priority for the FBI.

“The FBI-led Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes task force represents a force multiplier of dedicated local, state, and federal law enforcement professionals whose combined efforts are consistently disrupting the ability of predators and pedophiles to sexually exploit children,” he said.

SEMTEC is operated by the FBI and is a partnership with 12 law enforcement organizations including the Michigan State Police, throughout southeast Michigan. SEMTEC serves as the investigative entity of the federally funded Joint Anti-Trafficking Task Force.

Golden is next due in court on Dec. 29 for a pre-exam conference.

Photos via Shutterstock and Michigan Attorney General's Office