Sex trafficking incident sparks girls shelter investigation

(WJBK) - The Davenport Shelter for girls located on E. Grand Blvd in Detroit is a state licensed facility for wards of the state - and it is now being investigated.

Thursday night Fox 2 reported that two teenage girls who had run away from Davenport were abducted and later found safe. Police say their kidnappers are sex traffickers and that one of the girls was sexually assaulted. 

MORE: Detroit police, FBI save teen girls from sex traffickers, youth shelter blamed

“They said they had a gun to her head, and was going to kill her, she didn't want to go to Atlanta,” Ronnie Bailey said whose granddaughter was abducted.

“I woke up this morning and seen it and was like whoa, that’s where my sister lives, something has to be done,” Nathen Spiller said. 

Something is being done, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services releasing this statement saying,

“The Division of Child Welfare Licensing at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services today began a special investigation of Davenport Shelter as a result of the information that surfaced yesterday. The department will conduct an expeditious and through investigation.”

“They don't watch the kids they sit there and stay inside they don't really keep a close tab like they should be because they’re 15, 16-year-old girls,” Spiller said. 

Nathen Spillers 17-year old sister has been staying at Davenport for about a year.

“She's scared to walk down to the party store, she saying that guy there is trying to do sexual things with her for money,” he said.

The Davenport Shelter is state licensed but it’s privately owned.

Fox 2’s Randy Wimbley spoke with a Davenport employee Thursday night.

A department of Health and Human Services spokesperson says they have had complaints about Davenport in the past.