SALISBURY — The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office released more information about the operation that resulted in a 16-year-old sex trafficking victim’s rescue during a Wednesday press conference.

“As you know, the operation took place on the evening of March 13 at a local hotel here in Salisbury,” Sheriff Travis Allen said. “This was day two of a two-day operation. Surveillance units were positioned inside and outside of the establishment. Cameras were positioned in the room and hallway for surveillance and to ensure the safety of the hotel guests. Law enforcement contacts were made in a non-threatening manner in order to mitigate the chances for use of force or confrontational encounters.”

According to the sheriff’s office, detectives began the investigation by connecting to escort services that had advertised their services online. The purpose of the investigation was to connect with possible human trafficking victims and connect them with resources, as well as learn more about the overall human trafficking situation in the county.

Numerous individuals offering sexual services responded to requests from detectives. These undercover requests were placed through social media and pornographic websites.

“Those that responded were not charged but asked if they were OK,” Allen said. “They were asked if they were victims of trafficking or forced against their will to participate in prostitution. Our goal was to simply get a picture of what trafficking might look like in Rowan County.”

One of the first subjects who responded and was willing to meet up with the undercover detectives was a 16-year-old girl, who Allen said “arrived through a rideshare service.”

During a discussion with the victim and the subsequent investigation, detectives reportedly learned that she had been entered into the missing person database by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

In the time after her going missing, the victim reportedly met the man accused of trafficking her, Kadeem Zelique Williams, on the streets of Charlotte. Williams allegedly groomed her by offering her shelter, food and a phone before sending her to Salisbury via a rideshare service to act as a prostitute.

Allen indicated that detectives took the victim to the Terrie Hess Child Advocacy Center, where she spoke to a forensic interviewer and provided deputies with enough information for them to take out a warrant for Williams’ arrest for felony promoting prostitution of a minor.

During the interview, deputies also reportedly learned that Williams had been physically abusive towards the victim, including an incident where he assaulted her by choking her.

The victim was transported to Levine’s Children’s Hospital in Charlotte for treatment, a facility that Allen mentioned “specializes in the treatment and protection of juveniles who are victims of these types of crimes.”

Allen said that on the same night, Rowan County detectives contacted Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking Unit to locate and arrest Williams.

“They immediately responded,” Allen said.

Investigators discovered that Williams was on parole for robbery with a dangerous weapon and under GPS monitoring. They found him at the same hotel he had taken the victim to and arrested him, according to the release.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department also obtained arrest warrants charging Williams with felony assault by strangulation and assault on a female. He was reportedly arrested without incident.

“We are grateful to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their quick response to our request for assistance,” Allen said. “Their response allowed us to complete our goal of apprehending the offender that very same night.”

Allen indicated that investigators are currently going through thousands of phone records and messages from both the victim’s phone as well as the perpetrator’s phone.

Revelations from the investigation worry the sheriff.

“When I look back at it, it shows us that this was not hard to find,” Allen said. “I would never have thought that we would actually find a juvenile that was being trafficked. That is what we were doing the operation for, but when you find what you are looking for, you are surprised.

“That we were able to find one so quickly, it must really be a problem.”

Allen mentioned that vulnerable victims make for easier targets for human traffickers. Those vulnerabilities range in degree and nature but could include loneliness, isolation, substance use disorders or financial hardship.

“These predators pick on the most vulnerable, and that is why this is often an unreported incident,” Allen said. The people that are in it are stuck. They don’t feel like they can get out, and they are afraid to make those reports.

“It was eye-opening to me that it might be a prevalent issue, not just in Rowan County or Charlotte but across the country.”

The sheriff said that knowing they were able to help even one victim escape such dire circumstances gives him hope that his department’s efforts are more than worthwhile.

“It reminds me of the starfish story,” Allen said. “When the starfish washes up on the beach, and you throw them back one at a time, and the guy says that you are never going to save all these, but you can save one. I think that is exactly what these guys did.”