Charlotte Man Faces Child Sex-trafficking Charges

charlotte manA Charlotte man faces federal sex-trafficking charges after being accused of forcing an underage girl to turn tricks in three cities, starting in his Charlotte.

Ronnie “Rocko” Hall, 27, of Charlotte was charged last week with sex trafficking of a child by force, fraud or coercion, federal authorities in Orlando, Fla. said.

He made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday in Charlotte.

Hall is accused of forcing a 17-year-old runaway from a foster home to work for him as a prostitute from late February to mid-April in the cities of Charlotte, Atlanta and Orlando.

An affidavit filed Friday by a Florida investigator assigned to the case said the victim had met Hall’s girlfriend at a Charlotte gasoline station. The victim had been living with a sister in town.

The girlfriend, who apparently has not been charged in the case, took the teenager back to a hotel room that she shared with Hall. Hall then forced her to prostitute herself using threats of beatings, the affidavit says.

The three relocated to Atlanta, after a month of moving between five Charlotte motels,. There, the victim said, Hall continued to force her to walk the streets.

She said Hall also forced her to have sex with clients responding to an online advertisement featuring the teen in provocative poses and clothing.

According to the affidavit, Hall kept all the money and gave her less to eat when he was disappointed with what she gave him.

Eventually, the group moved to Orlando, where the teenager fled on April 19 and contacted authorities. Hall and the girlfriend were arrested a few days later on minor, unrelated charges.

Florida authorities interviewed the girlfriend at her Charlotte residence in October and she corroborated most of the teenager’s claims, the affidavit said.

Both Hall and the girlfriend have criminal records. Hall’s past offenses include possession and trafficking of drugs. The girlfriend’s involve assault, robbery and drug-related charges.

Comments are closed.