Waco, Tx (FOX 44) – A McLennan County Grand Jury has returned a one-count indictment for trafficking of persons against 34-year-old Keyshun Oneal Russell, who was arrested in New York on the charges and brought back to Central Texas in April.
Waco Police Department spokesperson Cierra Shipley said the case against Russell was developed only after a 15-year-old runaway from Cleburne was found in Louisiana. The runaway made an outcry about sexual abuse she said occurred in Waco.
The original runaway case was also made with an outside agency. Waco Police were notified about this on July 11, 2022. Shipley said that as local Crimes Against Children detectives started investigating the local offense, they discovered the victim may have been assaulted multiple times across different states.
An arrest affidavit stated the victim ran away on May 23, 2022 in Cleburne, and entered a truck for a ride the same day. The victim was later recovered in Shreveport, Louisiana, and was able to provide information to officers leading to identifying the truck driver she was with.
The affidavit stated that during a forensic interview, the victim described being driven to Waco and spending two days there. The victim described being sexually assaulted every morning and every night during the approximate ten days she was with the driver, including the time in Waco.
The affidavit stated that during a phone interview, Russell denied having sex with the girl. He said he was only helping her get to family members in Louisiana.
The affidavit stated that Russell initially failed to attend a scheduled interview, and refused to disclose his location. In an eventual in-person interview, police seized his phone and obtained a search warrant for its contents. A DNA sample was also obtained.
The affidavit stated that phone data was reviewed, and revealed what police said were numerous false statements Russell made. The affidavit stated there were DNA matches to multiple items of the victim. An arrest warrant for first-degree felony trafficking of persons was issued by 19th District Court Judge Thomas C. West.
Russell was found and arrested in New York on February 29. He was extradited to Texas and booked into the McLennan County Jail.
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