Mesa Police Detectives in the Human Exploitation and Tracking Unit (HEaT) at the Mesa Family Advocacy Center completed a 5-month sexual exploitation and trafficking case resulting in the arrest of Oshay Small, age 24, and Cornelius Wells, age 21, for multiple counts of child sex trafficking and other related crimes.
The suspects initially contacted the first victims, 15-year-old females, through Facebook and began exploiting them about four days later. The victims left home and were reported as runaways while they were being exploited. During the course of the investigation, Detectives learned about an additional juvenile female and two adult females being exploited. Some of the victims were transported to Tucson, AZ and El Paso, TX.
The suspects used Backpage.com to advertise and locate commercial sex buyers and received the proceeds from exploiting the victims.
Detectives located the suspects at a hotel near Metro Center Mall in Phoenix. The suspects were taken into custody by Mesa PD SWAT and Detectives. An adult female victim was with the suspects at the time of arrest.
According to Mesa Police, in Arizona the average age a victim entering sex trafficking is 14-years old.
“Backpage.com continues to be a facilitator of sex trafficking of minor victims. The HEAT squad from Mesa is one of the best in the country. This is why we must continue these efforts in Arizona,” stated Kathleen Winn, executive director of Project 25 | AZMEN.
Oshay Small, Age 24
Charges:
• 3 Counts of Child Sex Trafficking – Using Minor for Prostitution (ARS 13-3212A2, Class 2 Felony)
• 2 Counts of Sex Trafficking (ARS 13-1307A2, Class 2 Felony)
• 3 Counts of Child Sex Trafficking – Enticing and Transporting (ARS 13-3212A5, Class 2 Felony)
• 2 Counts of Child Sex Trafficking – Receive Proceeds from Juveniles (ARS 13-2312C, Class 3 Felony)
• 2 Counts of Receiving Earnings of Prostitution – Adults (ARS 13-3204, Class 5 Felony)
• 1 Count of Illegal Control of an Enterprise (ARS 13-2312A, Class 3 Felony)
Oshay Small is being held at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Jail on $75,000 bond.
Cornelius Wells, Age 21
Charges:
• 2 Counts of Child Sex Trafficking – Using Minor for Prostitution (ARS 13-3212A2, Class 2 Felony)
• 2 Counts of Child Sex Trafficking – Enticing and Transporting (ARS 13-3212A5, Class 2 Felony)
Cornelius Wells is being held at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Jail on $50,000 bond.
If you have information about someone being trafficked, contact your local police department or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or humantraffickinghotline.org