Two Houston-area women are now facing federal charges that include kidnapping, forced labor and abuse of a minor after a grand jury returned an indictment Monday, according to federal prosecutors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced the development in a social media post that linked to an attached press release, describing a federal case that alleges a child was taken and forced to work.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, a federal grand jury handed up the indictment on Monday, and the office’s post pointed readers to a press release listing the charges. Prosecutors said the counts include kidnapping, forced labor of a minor and abuse of a minor. The office did not release the full indictment in the social post.
What prosecutors allege
Prosecutors say the indictment accuses the two women of abducting a child and compelling the minor to work while subjecting the victim to abusive conditions, although the initial public notice stopped short of laying out a detailed timeline or narrative. Federal forced labor and trafficking laws make it a crime to obtain labor through force, threats or the abuse of legal process. The Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit explains how those statutes operate and how they are used in criminal cases, as outlined by the DOJ Civil Rights Division.
Why federal prosecutors are involved
Because forced labor, trafficking and certain kidnapping offenses are federal crimes, the Southern District of Texas has authority to bring the case in federal court. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas regularly prosecutes such matters with federal partners when allegations involve exploitation or child abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The office’s jurisdiction covers 43 counties and includes a wide range of federal criminal prosecutions.
Legal implications
Forced labor under 18 U.S.C. § 1589 is a felony that can carry up to 20 years in prison, and the statute allows for life sentences when an offense results in death or involves kidnapping or aggravated sexual abuse. When charging documents combine forced labor counts with kidnapping or child abuse allegations, potential penalties for defendants can increase significantly and prosecutors may seek lengthy prison terms along with restitution for victims. For the full statute and penalty provisions, see 18 U.S.C. § 1589…