NC man charged with human trafficking after trying to buy child to sexually assault: Sheriff

LEE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man in North Carolina is facing several charges after deputies said he tried to buy a 9-year-old whom he could then rape.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said deputies were investigating 50-year-old Joseph Jay Vieu with the assistance of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office first received a tip from Gate Beautiful Inc. on April 2 about the situation. That group is a nonprofit that works to help survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking. Police said the group alerted them about what Vieu was trying to do.

"I have no words to describe this type of behavior," said Lee County Sheriff Brian Estes, "I would like to thank the investigators involved with this case and I pray for justice."

The sheriff's office then executed a search warrant on Thursday, April 25 at a home in the 1300 block of Post Office Road in Sanford.

Vieu was arrested and charged with two counts of human trafficking of a child victim and two counts of solicitating prostitution of a minor. He is being held with no bond.

Gate Beautiful Inc. issued the following statement about the incident:

"We are really proud of those that disclosed the necessary information that led to Mr. Vieu's arrest, and so grateful to our Law Enforcement partners for their quick and diligent work in getting this done. The trafficking of children is a very dark but very real problem in our society and to make a difference, it takes all of us. We're proud of our community today, and the fact that children are safer now with this arrest being made is a really great feeling."

Human trafficking is a problem all around the world, and North Carolina is no exception.

"I'm not surprised because the statistics are there to say that this is happening regularly," NC Stop Human Trafficking Chief Operating Officer Melinda Sampson said.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline said there were 223 cases involving 340 victims in the Tar Heel state in 2021. That's the 12th highest number of incidents in any state.

Sampson said it's important that everybody is aware of the warning signs and speaks up when they see something is not right.

"The person isn't allowed to speak for themselves, somebody else talks for them. If they're an adult, they don't have control of their money, their schedule. Someone else controls that," she explained.

The incident with Vieu remains under investigation.

"Human Trafficking is an issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Slavery cannot be eliminated by a single individual or organization; rather, it requires collective efforts. Our office is committed to collaborating with any agencies to combat human trafficking. Last year, we successfully closed down a hotel on Gillespie Street that was facilitating human trafficking. However, our work is far from over, and we will continue to work tirelessly to end this heinous crime," Sheriff Ennis W. Wright said.

ABC11 spoke with a relative of Vieu who said they had no clue what was going on and had not been told anything further by investigators.