NH National Guardsman Charged in Sex Trafficking Case

A man from Bow who is serving in the New Hampshire National Guard has been charged in a federal sex trafficking case, according to Stars and Stripes. 

Army Lt. Col. Raymond Valas of Bow was arrested in Syracuse, NY, earlier this month after being connected to a federal indictment of others allegedly involved with the sex trafficking of a 15-year-old girl. 

Valas was allegedly involved in an incident in August 2013, but prosecutors wouldn't comment on specifically whether or not he was accused of "being a recruiter or a customer of the juveniles, who allegedly were forced or manipulated into prostitution," according to the report. 

Valas' was indicted after the conviction of Amber Doak, 20, on charges she was involved in prostituting the girl, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of West Texas. 

Marcus Deshawn Wright, 38, and Malcolm Deandre Copeland, 21, both of San Antonio, are alleged to have been involved in pimping and sex trafficking as well. Both are accused of "targeting runaways" and then, placing ads on Backpage.com, advertising the runaways as escorts. The ring was broken up last year, according to reports.

Valas recently served in Latin America as part of the Beyond the Horizons which constructed schools and performed other outreach services in El Salvador and other countries. He was also a teacher at the Army War College. 

Read the full report on starsandstripes.com.