Peach Tree Times

The mother of a 5-year-old Columbus girl found dead in an abandoned house in Alabama is now facing charges in connection with the girl’s death. 

According to Fox 8, Kristy Siple is charged with four felony counts, including human trafficking, in connection with the death of her daughter, Kamarie Holland, who, the report said, had been reported abducted in mid-December. The child’s body, found the same night she had been reported missing, bore signs of sexual abuse, according to the report.  

“Please, parents take care of your kids, watch your kids, be careful who your kids are around,” Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff Heath Taylor told Fox 28. “[I] shouldn't have to state that, but it never hurts to remind everybody. This is a bad world."

Taylor also told the outlet that Siple had been taken into custody on Dec 28. The girl’s body was found in an abandoned home in Phenix City, Alabama, owned by Jeremy Williams, who, according to Fox 28, is facing a capital murder charge in connection with the girl’s death.  

“We are doing everything we can to bring justice for this little girl,” Taylor told Fox. 

Fox 8 reported that Siple reported the child missing on Dec. 13, and that investigators assert that Siple sold her child into sex slavery in exchange for money. Investigators say the girl was raped and sodomized before she was strangled to death. 

The outlet also reported that Williams has a history of child abuse.

“This has really struck a nerve for all of us because we really care about our kids and our community,” assistant Columbus Police Chief Joyce Dent-Fitzpatrick told Fox 8. The department assisted in the investigation, according to the news outlet. 

Human trafficking is affecting thousands in Georgia. According to the Center for Public Policy Studies, an estimated 5,000 girls are currently at risk of being sex-trafficked.

According to data from the center, there are 374 girls trafficked for the purpose of being sexually exploited each month. The average age of these girls is from 12 to 14 years old, according to the center. 

Moreover, the center also found that some 100 young girls are exploited for sex on a nightly basis in the state. The center also found that Atlanta has more Hispanic girls trafficked than any other location in the country.