Executive Summary
- Gulfport Police arrested six individuals between Jan. 22 and Feb. 4 in a human trafficking probe.
- The juvenile victim was allegedly sold for drugs and money and held against her will before escaping.
- Bobby Terrell Mills faces charges of rape, extortion, kidnapping, and human trafficking with a $1.6 million bond.
- Other suspects are charged with facilitating transport and the sale of the victim across the Gulf Coast.
GULFPORT, Miss. — Officials from the Gulfport Police Department have arrested six individuals following an extensive investigation into a human trafficking and kidnapping operation involving a juvenile victim. The arrests, executed between January 22 and February 4, resulted from a probe initiated after officers responded to a complaint regarding a runaway juvenile.
According to police reports, the investigation began to unfold when the juvenile was located and secured safely on January 22. Investigators allege that 40-year-old Michael Eric Moses held the juvenile inside a hotel room against the will of her legal guardian. Authorities state the victim was detained against her will between December 2025 and January 2026.
The police investigation identified Bobby Terrell Mills, 49, as a central figure in the alleged crimes. Officials stated that the victim was forced to perform sexual acts for Mills, who reportedly threatened to alert authorities about her runaway status if she did not comply. The juvenile eventually escaped the situation by fleeing through a window.
Upon his arrest, Mills allegedly told detectives that two individuals had transported the juvenile to him and offered to sell her in exchange for approximately $30 and narcotics. Mills faces charges of human trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and forcible rape. His bond has been set at $1,600,000.
Detectives also implicated Marcus Alan Mann, 35, and Richard Sherrol Weir, 60, in facilitating the transportation and sale of the juvenile. Mann is charged with human trafficking and kidnapping, with a bond set at $750,000, while Weir faces a human trafficking charge. Additionally, Jeffrey Devon Pruitt, 41, and Latasha Ann Smith, 27, are accused of transporting the victim to multiple hotels across the Gulf Coast and New Orleans for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Bonds for Moses, Weir, Pruitt, and Smith were set at $250,000 each.
Judicial & Investigative Outlook
The severity of the bonds set in this case, particularly for the primary defendant, reflects the gravity of the charges and the interstate nature of the alleged trafficking activities extending to New Orleans. As the case moves to prosecution, the focus will likely shift to the forensic evidence corroborating the victim’s timeline and the financial trails linking the co-defendants. It is important to note that all individuals named in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
