Man sexually assaults teen, then calls others to join abuse, VA officials say
A Virginia man was found guilty of raping and trafficking a teen girl whom he lied to about his age, officials said.
Thomas Rodriguez Carlin, now 27, told the teen he was 17 years old when they spoke over Snapchat and when he met up with her Nov. 5, 2022, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Norfolk said in a June 4 news release.
Carlin picked the teen up in her home in Chesapeake and drove her about 6 miles north to Norfolk where he sexually assaulted her in his car several times, officials said.
He then called other people and encouraged them to meet him and sexually assault the teen as well before driving her back home after about 12 hours, according to officials. Prosecutors did not make clear if the teen was sexually assaulted by multiple people.
When the teen was back home, she told a family member about the assaults and her parents called the police, officials said.
An investigation found Carlin’s DNA on the teen during a forensic test and he was arrested, officials said.
“Carlin lied to, enticed, and abused a teenaged girl, all for his own gratification, and then had the audacity to offer up his victim for abuse by others,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi.
A jury heard arguments in March and then found him guilty of charges including rape, forcible sodomy and human trafficking.
He is set to be sentenced July 25, according to officials.
Human trafficking in the US
Human trafficking is a “crime of exploitation,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Traffickers profit off their victims by forcing them to engage in sex acts or do labor.
“With an estimated 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time, human traffickers prey on people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, exploiting them for their own profit,” officials said.
Industries where trafficking victims are forced to work include hospitality, restaurants, agriculture, construction, landscaping, factories, home care, salons, massage parlors, retail, janitorial and many more, officials said.
In the U.S., children in welfare or juvenile justice systems, such as foster care, are the most vulnerable to human trafficking, officials said.
Children and teens experiencing homelessness, people seeking asylum, people who struggle with substance abuse, migrant laborers, people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community and victims of domestic violence are also more vulnerable to becoming victims of human trafficking
“Traffickers can be strangers, acquaintances, or even family members, and they prey on the vulnerable and on those seeking opportunities to build for themselves a brighter future,” officials said.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Man sexually assaults teen, then calls others to join abuse, VA officials say."
