ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - A St. Joseph County man has been arrested after allegedly trafficking a girl from California.

According to St. Joseph County police, 37-year-old Benjamin Lawless was under investigation in California after allegedly contacting a minor and arranging for her to travel to Indiana.

Once California authorities secured an arrest warrant for Lawless, St. Joseph County police say they worked alongside the FBI and several other local law enforcement agencies to arrest him in the 1700 block of Home Street in Mishawaka.

Police say Lawless was booked into the St. Joseph County Jail on the following charges out of California:

Human trafficking

Contact with a minor for sexual offenses (2 counts)

Using a minor for obscene matter

Activity involving material depictin

See Full Page