![\"Semaj](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ZJFSBN7W3NE2XOYRNMT7TV7AJ4.png\")
Semaj Williams (left) and Ranisha Williams (right) have been booked into the Maricopa County jail.(Arizona’s Family)<\/p>\nPHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 An 18-year-old man and his mother have been arrested after police say they sex-trafficked a teen girl in Phoenix after he had met her at a party.<\/p>\n
The alleged trafficking involving a 15-year-old girl occurred between July 31 and Aug. 10, according to police.<\/p>\n
Court documents obtained Wednesday detailed the arrest of Semaj Andre Jeremiah Jackson Williams, who faces multiple felony counts of child sex trafficking. His mother, identified as Ranisha Williams, also faces a child sex trafficking charge.<\/p>\n
Semaj Williams (left) and Ranisha Williams (right) have been booked into the Maricopa County jail.(Arizona’s Family)<\/p>\n
Arresting paperwork detailed that the victim was found near 27th and Campbell avenues<\/a>, just off the infamous corridor known as \u201cThe Blade<\/a>,\u201d which is notorious for illegal sex work.<\/p>\n When interviewed by detectives, the girl initially said she was being trafficked before saying she wasn\u2019t sure, but told cops that she was told to work in the area by a friend and boyfriend she had met at a party. Police said that the host is known to carry out parties that result in underage kids being victimized and assaulted, the documents said.<\/p>\n Text messages revealed that Semaj told the girl that he was going to rent her a room at the Super 8 motel in the area, but told him to hold on because she was with a \u201ctrick,\u201d a common nickname for a \u201cJohn\u201d or sex buyer. At that point, the teen shares her location, and Semaj offers to buy her food, telling him to send her the money.<\/p>\n She later tells him that he has a date and is \u201cmaking money\u201d before telling her to use Apple Pay and send some more cash. A while later, he reportedly said that if she can \u201cdo more than to do it,\u201d according to court paperwork.<\/p>\n Detectives said that both of them continue to check in, telling her, \u201cIf you get 1,000 before 11, I can come break ts off.\u201d He also reportedly told the girl to increase her prices because of other girls and women working in the area. They also discussed whether their 50-50 (splitting) agreement was still okay, police said. <\/p>\n In one instance, the girl described in texts that she was \u201chiding from the police\u201d and explained that another girl had been arrested near her, the documents said.<\/p>\n Semaj was arrested on Tuesday, and once questioned, he allegedly admitted to knowing the girl and renting the motel room, but said he believed she was between the ages of 18 and 20. While he said she was with him in the room, he denied it being used for prostitution. Later during the interview, he reportedly said that he knew she was a prostitute and met her at a party and began texting from there.<\/p>\n Investigators also asked a video in which Semaj said how much the girl had to make, but told detectives that it was a \u201cjoke for Instagram.\u201d Authorities also questioned the text messages found on the phone, including the splitting agreement, and Semaj admitted that he would drive her out to 27th Avenue and to \u201cdates\u201d he believed she had set up through her online ads. <\/p>\n In total, Semaj said they made between $8,000 $10,000, and they spent it on \u201cweed, food and nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Ranisha, detectives said text showed that she would reportedly coordinate Uber rides for the girl along that stretch known for prostitution and that her apartment was used for some of those dates.<\/p>\n A picture of Ranisha was also found on the Venmo profile where money for the \u201cdates\u201d would be exchanged, and that account was also linked to the escort ads. For those reasons, police recommended she be charged with child sex trafficking.<\/p>\n Semaj and Ranisha Williams are now booked into the Maricopa County jail on a $150,000 cash-only bond.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n