NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Two South Carolina women have been arrested and charged with human trafficking and either offering or using forced child labor after an investigation that involved state agents.
According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, 36-year-old Elvira Teodora Lopez Aguilar of North Charleston was charged on Wednesday with numerous charges related to the trafficking of four minor victims for use as forced labor between July 1, 2022, and March 9, 2023.
The warrants state that the four victims were also subjected to "deplorable living conditions, poor hygiene and threats and use of physical harm."
Aguilar was charged with four counts each of unlawful conduct towards a child, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and first-degree trafficking of victims under 18.
Another woman, 29-year-old Marisol Hernandez Perianez was charged on Thursday and allegedly employed trafficked child laborers at her business Marisols Cleaning Services LLC between July 1, 2022, and March 9, 2023.
Perianez was booked into jail on four counts each of trafficking in first-degree victims under 18 and trafficking of persons - use of business in violation of Article 19.
Both Aguilar and Perianez were booked into the Dorchester County Detention Center. Authorities are reminding the public that they can report trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or text information to 233733.
