StarTribune
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Details of the case came to a head when a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator applied in Ramsey County for a search warrant to get the cell phone records of a 15-year-old girl, who could hold the key to the case.
The girl, known by the nickname Ayan Cherry, has a long history as a runaway, and was being promoted as a prostitute by "a group of Somalian males," according to the affidavit in Ramsey County.
The girl was questioned in July 2009 by St. Paul police officer Heather Weyker in connection with a robbery in Richfield. She lied about her identity and involvement in prostitution, but Weyker "interviewed other witnesses of this Human Trafficking ring" and learned that the girl was "controlled by the Somalian gangs," the affidavit said.
Authorities seized her phone to search for text messages, calls, contacts, pictures, videos and other information.
According to the search warrant affidavit filed by special agent Ann Quinn, the phone is key because the victim, identified as A.A.A., "does not have a permanent home and often stays with various members of this prostitution gang, her cellular telephone is the main way of communication that the victim has with other members of this organization to include prostitution customers.
"Your affiant believes that the recovery of the data to include photos in this telephone will assist in the investigation of this Somalian Human Trafficking Ring and may reveal the identity of suspects, witnesses and additional victims."
According to the affidavit, Quinn spoke to members of the St. Paul Police Department, witnesses and A.A.A. "in connection with a large scale Somalian gang Human Trafficking ring based in Minnesota.
Source: StarTribune