Teen rescued from trafficking operation

A 15-year-old girl has been rescued from human traffickers who were holding her, the Arkansas State Police said Monday. The arrest of a North Little Rock woman in the teen’s captivity has led to a broader investigation, authorities say.

The teenager was being held at a south Little Rock motel along with two children, ages 2 and 3, state police said.

Arkansas State Police will not release the address of the motel because it may jeopardize a larger, ongoing investigation, spokesman Bill Sadler said in an email.

Amber Johnson, 28, was arrested on Wednesday at the south Little Rock motel. Johnson is accused of sexually exploiting the girl, Sadler said.

The investigation, conducted in part by civilian investigators with the state police’s Crimes Against Children Division, also “identified a second teenager who was the victim of human trafficking and sexual exploitation at locations in east Arkansas,” Sadler said in a statement.

The investigation and rescue stemmed from "allegations of a runaway child somewhere in Arkansas being held against her will at an unknown location," director of Arkansas State Police Col. Bill Bryant said in a statement.

State troopers and investigators with the Crimes Against Children Division are working with the FBI and the U.S. attorney on the case.

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