A 13-year-old girl who had disappeared after meeting an individual online was discovered alive, hidden in a box inside the man’s residence, where signs of sexual assault were found, as per authorities’ statements.
The accused, Ki-Shawn Crumity, 26, was apprehended in Pittsburgh, US, and is facing charges of human trafficking, sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of a child. The young teenager, hailing from Baker, Louisiana, went missing on October 20 after establishing contact with Crumity on social media platforms.
Reports from The Guardian indicate that Crumity is one of three individuals arrested in a multi-agency investigation spanning state borders. Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, condemned the incident, highlighting the dangers of social media and human trafficking, stating that the child was lured, exploited, and sexually abused by strangers she encountered online.
Following information provided by federal agents, law enforcement officers located the girl confined in a box covered with sheets in Crumity’s basement, far away from her home. She was promptly transported to a hospital, where evidence of sexual assault was documented, according to local news outlet WTAE.
Based on a criminal complaint reviewed by sources, the victim disclosed that she had connected with Crumity via Snapchat. Allegedly, he had promised to assist her in being adopted by a trustworthy adult. The girl detailed her journey to Pittsburgh by bus and recounted sharing a basement bed with Crumity and another woman, where she was subjected to repeated sexual assaults after being given cannabis-infused edibles.
She mentioned in the complaint that Crumity warned her about the consequences of their activities, acknowledging her status as a runaway. The child expressed feeling safest while in the hospital, as per the complaint. Crumity reportedly confessed to engaging in sexual activities with the victim, as reported by PEOPLE.
Local officials released a statement indicating that on October 30, 2025, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Special Victims Unit received a report from United States Marshals about the juvenile female victim from Louisiana being located in Pittsburgh.
Furthermore, another individual, Ronald Smith, aged 62, was arrested in connection with the girl’s disappearance. Smith and another person, Alvin Hanson, allegedly transported her from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Georgia before arranging for her to travel northward on a bus.
Smith has been charged with simple kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, while Hanson, aged 64, faces allegations of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Brian Fair of the US Marshals Service.
Authorities have hinted at additional arrests being made in the ongoing investigation. Local news outlet WAFB reported that a man and a woman from the Washington DC area were present in Crumity’s basement at the time of the girl’s rescue.