Waco truck driver charged with human trafficking | KWKT

Waco, Texas (FOX 44) – A McLennan County grand jury has returned a human trafficking indictment against 34-year-old Keyshun Oneal Russell, who was arrested in New York on the charges and brought back to Central Texas in April.

Waco Police Department spokeswoman Cierra Shipley said the case against Russell was only opened after a 15-year-old runaway from Cleburne was found in Louisiana. The runaway reported sexual abuse she said took place in Waco.

The original runaway case was also referred to an outside agency. Waco police were notified on July 11, 2022. Shipley said that when local crimes against children detectives began investigating the local crime, they discovered that the victim may have been assaulted multiple times in different states.

An arrest report indicated that the victim fled on May 23, 2022, in Cleburne and got into a truck for a ride that same day. The victim was later located in Shreveport, Louisiana, and was able to provide officers with information that helped identify the driver of the truck she was in.

The affidavit states that during a forensic interview, the victim described being driven to Waco and spending two days there. The victim described being sexually assaulted every morning and evening for the approximately ten days she was with the driver, including the time she spent in Waco.

The affidavit said that during a telephone interview, Russell denied having sex with the girl. He said he only helped her join family members in Louisiana.

The affidavit said Russell initially failed to attend a scheduled interview and refused to reveal his location. During an in-person interview, police seized his phone and obtained a search warrant for its contents. A DNA sample was also obtained.

The affidavit said phone records were reviewed and revealed what police said were numerous false statements made by Russell. The affidavit said there were DNA matches to several of the victim's items. An arrest warrant for first-degree human trafficking was issued by 19th District Judge Thomas C. West.

Russell was located and arrested in New York on February 29. He was extradited to Texas and booked into the McLennan County Jail.