The internet can be a dangerous place — and this latest story out of Pittsburgh is a chilling reminder of just how real those dangers can be. What started as a missing child report in Louisiana ended in a shocking discovery hundreds of miles away. On Thursday, October 30, authorities found a 13-year-old girl hidden inside a box in the basement of a home. And, the man at the center of it all is Ki-Shawn Crumity.
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Tip Leads To Shocking Basement Discovery
According to court documents, the girl’s disappearance came to light after a Childline report led Pittsburgh’s Special Victims Unit to a home on Davis Avenue in the city’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. When federal agents executed a search warrant, they found the young girl hidden in a sheet-covered box in the basement. What she tells investigators next shows how he allegedly manipulated her into traveling to Pennsylvania.
From DMs To Danger
Authorities say the teen met Ki-Shawn Crumity on Snapchat, where he allegedly promised to help her get adopted by a trusted adult. U.S. Marshals say a week-long investigation that started in Louisiana led them to Columbus, Georgia, where 62-year-old Ronald Smith was arrested. Authorities say Smith and another man brought the girl from Baton Rouge to Georgia before putting her on a bus to Pittsburgh, and she was later spotted at a D.C. bus station with a woman.
Police say the woman offered to “help” the girl, then traveled with her to Pittsburgh and Crumity’s Davis Avenue home, where all three reportedly slept in the same basement bed. Additionally, police haven’t revealed further details about the woman’s involvement or her identity. After finding the victim on Thursday, officials took the girl to a hospital for care. Furthermore, while there, she reportedly told them it was the safest she had ever felt.
Officials Speak Out Amid Crumity’s Charges
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill praised law enforcement for their quick action, calling the case a stark reminder that predators can use online interactions to target vulnerable individuals.
“Very proud of my LBI agents in helping to locate this child. She was groomed, exploited, and then sexually abused by strangers who found her online. This is just one example of the dangers of social media and of human trafficking,” Murrill said in a statement.
Pittsburgh SWAT executed a search warrant and arrested 26-year-old Ki-Shawn Crumity after finding the victim hidden in his basement. Crumity is now facing multiple charges, including trafficking in individuals and statutory sexual assault. He is also facing charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, and corruption of minors. The investigation is ongoing, but this case has already sparked new discussions about online safety.
