Attorney General Chris Carr recently announced that the office’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit has indicted four individuals in Fulton County.
Raphel Olivia Sewer and Jody Netter have been indicted on charges including human trafficking and cruelty to children in the first degree. Netter has also been indicted on charges of rape and statutory rape. Courdale Thayer and Jahaundria Seabron have been indicted on charges including human trafficking, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and cruelty to children in the first degree. The two indictments follow the rescue of a 14-year-old victim and the arrest of the four defendants as announced on Dec. 13, 2021.
“Our office is committed to protecting all Georgians, and we will continue to stand up for our state’s most vulnerable citizens by fighting back against human trafficking,” said Carr. “From our investigators to our attorneys, our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit works cases from beginning to end to ensure those in danger are recovered and those responsible are held accountable. Securing the indictments brings us one step closer to seeking justice for the victim, and we look forward to presenting these cases in court.”
The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit initiated its investigation after reviewing an alert issued by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. From this alert, a Unit Investigator was able to identify, locate and rescue the underage female. The victim had been missing for approximately seven weeks at the time of the recovery in February 2021.
The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit presented evidence to a Fulton County grand jury resulting in Sewer and Netter’s indictment* on Jan. 13, 2022. A summary of the charges against the two individuals is included below.
Raphel Olivia Sewer:
- Did knowingly recruit a person under the age of 18 years, for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly harbor a person under the age of 18 years, at a Motel 6 for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly provide a person under the age of 18 years, for the purpose of sexual servitude, to wit: facilitating pictures and advertisements of said child; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly benefit financially from the sexual servitude of a person under the age of 18 years; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did maliciously cause a child under the age of 18 years, cruel and excessive physical and mental pain by encouraging and assisting an unknown male to vaginally penetrate said child, causing bleeding from said child’s vaginal area; charged with 1 count of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70.
If convicted of all counts, Raphel Olivia Sewer faces a maximum sentence of four life sentences plus 20 years imprisonment.
Jody Netter:
- Did knowingly recruit a person under the age of 18 years, for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly harbor a person under the age of 18 years, at a Motel 6 for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly provide a person under the age of 18 years, for the purpose of sexual servitude, to wit: facilitating pictures and advertisements of said child; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly benefit financially from the sexual servitude of a person under the age of 18 years; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did maliciously cause a child under the age of 18 years, cruel and excessive physical and mental pain by striking said child in the face for the purposes of enforcing commercial sexual activity; charged with 1 count of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70.
- Did have carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will; charged with 1 count of Rape, O.C.G.A. § 16-6-1.
- Being older than 21 years of age, did engage in sexual intercourse with a child under 16 years of age and not being the spouse of the accused; charged with 1 of count Statutory Rape, O.C.G.A. § 16-6-3(a)
If convicted of all counts, Jody Netter faces a maximum sentence of five life sentences plus 40 years imprisonment.
The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit presented evidence to a Fulton County grand jury resulting in Thayer and Seabron’s indictment* on Jan. 13, 2022. A summary of the charges against the two individuals is included below.
Courdale Thayer:
- Did knowingly harbor a person under the age of 18 years, at a Motel 6 for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly provide a person under the age of 18 years, for the purpose of sexual servitude, to wit: facilitating pictures and advertisements of said child; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly benefit financially from the sexual servitude of a person under the age of 18 years; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did make an assault upon the victim with a deadly weapon, to wit: a handgun; charged with 1 count of Aggravated Assault, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70.
- Did in violation of her personal liberty, unlawfully confine the victim without legal authority; charged with 1 count of False Imprisonment, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-41.
If convicted of all counts, Courdale Thayer faces a maximum sentence of three life sentences plus 30 years imprisonment.
Jahaundria Seabron:
- Did knowingly harbor a person under the age of 18 years, at a Motel 6 for the purpose of sexual servitude; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly provide a person under the age of 18 years, for the purpose of sexual servitude, to wit: facilitating pictures and advertisements of said child; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did knowingly benefit financially from the sexual servitude of a person under the age of 18 years; charged with 1 count of Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-46 (c).
- Did maliciously cause a child under the age of 18 years, cruel and excessive physical and mental pain by encouraging and assisting an unknown male to vaginally penetrate said child, causing bleeding from said child’s vaginal area; charged with 1 count of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70.
If convicted of all counts, Jahaundria Seabron faces a maximum sentence of three life sentences plus 20 years imprisonment.
In 2021, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit initiated 25 cases, arrested 9 individuals, investigated and prosecuted 51 defendants, and rescued and assisted 107 victims.
*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.
