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Kurt Young, 56, of South Dennis Township, was briefly jailed before being released following his arrest on Jan. 28, 2020, records show.
Two co-defendants took pleas and got 15 to 20 years in state prison in exchange. Meanwhile, Young -- who investigators said was positively identified by the 14-year-old victim -- skipped out during jury selection for his trial in Cape May County last September.
A judge issued a bench warant for Young's arrest, but state and federal authorities have had no luck finding him.
Co-defendant Derrick Ross admitted that he brought the 14-year-old victim to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City in November 2019.
Ross, 30, of Atlantic City thought he was connecting with a patron who answered an online ad for an escort. It was actually an undercover investigator.
The probe led to Tiffany Davis, 43, of Egg Harbor, who spilled the beans on Young, authorities said. Young paid her and Ross to bring the minor to his Dennis Township house in Cape May County for sex, they said.
The child picked out Young from a photo lineup and was able to describe his home in detail, according to a criminal complaint on file in Trenton. Ross and Davis also helped incriminate the former corrections officer.
Both of them took deals from state prosecutors -- pleading pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking and facilitating human trafficking -- rather than risk the potential consequences of a trial.
Ross got 20 years last August, although he'll be eligible for parole in November 2026, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Davis got 15 years in November and already will be up for parole this October, DOC records show.
The case against the trio sprung from an investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police’s Casino Gaming Bureau, with assistance from the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, Platkin said.
Deputy Attorney General Elizabeth Vogelsong Parvin secured the pleas and was due to try Young on charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking, engaging in prostitution with a child, sexual assault and child endangerment when he made himself scarce.
“The investigation and prosecution of human trafficking is a priority mission, as this crime leaves a devastating impact on its victims, which are often the most vulnerable members of our community,” State Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in announcing the search for Young.
ANYONE with information about Young's whereabouts is asked to contact 1-877-WANTED-2. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a cash reward for any information leading directly to his arrest, although an amount hasn't been specified.
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