Police find ‘no evidence of human trafficking’ at Louisa motel after viral post

LOUISA, Ky. (FOX 56) — A police investigation turned up empty in response to a viral post on social media that alleged human trafficking in Lawrence County on Tuesday.

The Louisa Police Department spoke with FOX 56 to clarify the situation regarding the May 27 social media post. According to the police, an officer responded to the post and filed a report on Tuesday.

“At this point, they have found no evidence of human trafficking,” the police told FOX 56.

Regarding the complaint on X, the police spoke with a woman believed to be involved, who said she felt uneasy and left the motel. Nothing at the time was believed to be criminal, the police noted, and there is no reason to investigate further at this time.

“Since the post went viral the woman who filed the report has not reached back out to police to provide any other information. The previous Human Trafficking and prostitution charges were related to a sexual favor for a discounted hotel room,” the police told FOX 56 in a statement.

Louisa police confirmed that previous human trafficking and prostitution charges tied to the motel involved a sexual favor being exchanged for a discounted room.

The police department said it has been sent the post multiple times and intends to release a statement to the community due to the viral nature of the complaint.

In a news release, the police confirmed that the department will review the case with the county attorney’s office.

Human trafficking is a grave and deeply concerning crime, and we treat every related report with the utmost seriousness. The safety and well-being of all individuals in our community is a top priority, and we remain committed to responding swiftly and thoroughly to any report of suspicious or unlawful activity.

We appreciate the vigilance of the community in reporting concerns, and we encourage the public to continue to do so. At the same time, we also ask that individuals avoid spreading unverified or misleading information on social media platforms, as this can cause unnecessary panic and divert resources away from legitimate investigations.
Louisa Police Department

Payden Hinkle contributed to this story.