Kentucky pair, New York man charged in joint human trafficking investigation

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — Three people have been arrested, with one in federal custody, in connection with a joint investigation between the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), an FBI task force, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office in New York after a missing Kentucky teen was found there.

The LSCO wrote in a news release that the missing victim’s family members in London had contacted authorities to report her missing when she hadn’t come home.

Deputies wrote that it was determined she was in New York, allegedly in the company of a 42-year-old man. A joint investigation began with help from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office in New York and the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force (CACHTTF). Through their cooperative teamwork, the victim was returned to Kentucky.

Laurel County deputies alleged that through unrelated events, Kevin Martinez, 38, of Jamestown, and Joshua Mahley, 42, of western New York, got in touch with the victim and her family through the internet.

According to a federal warrant, from around August 2024 to Sept. 8, Mahley allegedly paid Tabitha Peterson, 41, of East Bernstadt, to travel from New York to Kentucky to pick up the victim and take her back to his residence.

Court documents show that Mahley was allegedly a registered sex offender.

He was federally charged on Sept. 8 with violating Title 18 of the US Code — traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Authorities in Laurel County wrote that further charges may be filed against him.

According to jail records, Peterson was arrested on Sept. 12 and charged with:

• Third-degree complicity to rape
• Human Trafficking— commercial sexual activity involving a victim under age 18
• First-degree complicity to sodomy
• First-degree complicity to rape

Martinez was arrested in Russell County by Kentucky State Police, transferred to the Laurel County Correctional Center, and charged with four counts of first-degree rape and four counts of first-degree sodomy.

Martinez and Peterson were each held on a $500,000 cash bond.

No court records could be found showing when Martinez would be arraigned, but Peterson will appear in court for a pre-trial conference on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Laurel County law enforcement officials said Mahley was arrested in New York and taken into federal custody.

The human trafficking investigation remains ongoing.