New Bibb D.A. moves to target sex trafficking

Bibb County’s new District Attorney David Cook hired attorney Deshala Dixon to serve as an Assistant D.A. in the major crimes division.
One of the goals of her hire is to enforce certain ordinances that will aim to shut down local massage parlors working for sex trafficking.
Dixon will specialize in serious violent crimes, like child abuse, child molestation and murder.
She will also serve as a point person for sex trafficking in Macon.
Sex trafficking is one of the major social and political issues in Macon today.
Macon does not have the typical street market of sex work of major cities like Atlanta, but Macon does have a problem with the commercial sex parlors.
Under the guise of massages, victims of sex trafficking sell sex in massage parlors in Macon.
Most of these victims are adults, but some underage girls are also victims of this form of sex trafficking.
Macon also has pimps, opportunistic traffickers who find ways to exploit vulnerable girls, some of whom are runaways.
These pimps are not professionals, but they know enough about the sex trade to find and lure in girls.
It is difficult to combat sex trafficking in Macon because victims of sex trafficking do not usually identify as victims.
The new ordinances will allow the D.A. to fight sex trafficking without the need for victims to come forward.
Prosecuting massagers without licenses will help in resisting the first kind of sex offenders prominent in Macon.
Cook says the D.A. should partner with local law enforcement so they can prosecute more sex traffickers.
Dixon’s purpose will be twofold.
She will prosecute as a city attorney for criminal trafficking, as well as enforcing city ordinances against non-licensed therapists.
“[Dixon] is known as one of the most talented and hardworking prosecutors of crimes against children in Georgia. She is a great worker,” said Cook.
Dixon attended Hampton University for undergraduate studies, then attended Harvard and Boston College to advance her degree.
She worked in Boston and has a passion and zeal for Special Victims Unit cases.
Dixon will be the point person for sex trafficking cases, which is a major need in Macon.
She will help the large issue of sex trafficking in Macon by fighting the sex parlor version of sex trafficking.
“The two things about Ms. Dixon that make her good for this job are her ability and experience in prosecuting and, second of all, her passion,” said Cook.
Like many of Cook’s other new hires, Dixon worked in Houston country prior to coming to Macon.
Cook himself worked in Houston County before winning the election that made him D.A. of Bibb County.
Three other prosecutors are hires from Houston County, but Cook says that he did not hire them because of their familiarity but because of their experience and skills.