Four people were arrested after a teen girl was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and forced to have sex with other men for money, according to investigators.
Police say the 14-year-old girl ran away from home on April 23 and met with Shaikey Copper, 18, who she considered a friend. Copper told the girl he had work for her to do and took her back to his home on the 4200 block of North 8th Street, according to investigators. The girl was then sexually assaulted, police said.
Copper then took the girl to the home of Reggie Jamal Fields, 23, on the 1800 block of North 20th Street, according to investigators. Copper allegedly had a woman identified by police as Fantasia Gale, 21, post on a website an advertisement offering sex with the victim for money. The three suspects then allegedly forced the girl to have sex with several men over the course of two days.
After the suspects fell asleep, the teen girl walked away from the home and went to Temple University Hospital where she told investigators she had been sexually assaulted several times.
On April 25 shortly after 11:15 p.m., police arrived on the 1800 block of North 20th Street to search for the vehicle of one of the suspects. They then spotted Gale and Fields leaving an apartment at the location and they placed them into custody, officials said. Police also say they executed a search warrant of Copper’s home and took him into custody as well.
Copper, Gale, Fields and Shawn Jackson, 23, all face several charges, including criminal conspiracy, trafficking an individual, involuntary servitude, unlawful restraint, corruption of minors and false imprisonment.
Copper and Jackson are also both charged with statutory sexual assault, Fields with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, Gale with terroristic threats and Jackson with simple assault.
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Police say they are also searching for Angelo Romero, 24, of the 1600 block of North Worrell Street, for his possible involvement. They continue to investigate.
If you have any information on the crime, please call Philadelphia Police.
