22 charged, including alleged ringleader, in human trafficking ring based out of NE Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A years-long investigation into a human trafficking ring based out of Northeast Philadelphia has resulted in 22 people arrested, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General.

AG Michelle Henry announced the arrest of 52-year-old Terrance Jones on Tuesday. He is facing multiple charges, including involuntary servitude and trafficking individuals.

Investigators say Jones had been trafficking young women since at least 2012. He's accused of posing as a woman named "Julie" or "Julia" and recruiting women struggling with addiction into his scheme, an operation he sometimes called the "Girlfriend Experience."

"They took advantage of young, vulnerable women and exploited their suffering to line their own pockets," said Henry. "By presenting himself as a woman, coupled with the victims' inability to make informed decisions while intoxicated, Jones was able to lure and trap easily manipulated women into his scheme."

Investigators say Jones used drivers to pick up the women and bring them to commercial sex buyers. Henry described 54-year-old Thomas Reilly as Jones' second in command and one of his hired drivers.

Police arrested three other drivers, James Rudolph, Rhaheem Hill, and Joseph Franklin and Jones' daughter, Natoria Jones, who they say handled payments.

Police say in several cases, Jones himself assaulted the women at his home.

"To use the bodies of these women for their own profit," Henry added.

People who live on Disston Street say they had no idea Jones was running this trafficking ring out of his house.

"Well, maybe that's why he did it because nobody would expect it," said Joan Sutton.

"You really never expect this from your neighbor. You expect it from maybe someone farther away, but you never expect it to be someone you sleep next to, live next to. It's heartbreaking honestly," said John Tran.

The attorney general's office charged 16 commercial sex buyers as well, saying they made it a point to charge the buyers in order to cut off the demand for human trafficking.

Jones is being held on $2 million bail.