Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of a Florida man in Virginia on human trafficking charges this week.
The man, 40-year-old Kevin Tilcock, is accused of manipulating and transporting a woman across Florida and Mississippi while engaging in sexual activity. Tilcock also allegedly gave the woman drugs during her capture and threatened her by saying she wouldn't be allowed to see her young son in an effort to control her.
“Drugging a woman and using her young child as a way to keep her captive is a disgusting level of abuse,” Uthmeier said. “This arrest was only possible because our Statewide Prosecutors and law enforcement partners were not content with having this trafficker on the streets. They followed the evidence to bring serious charges that will keep him locked up for a long time.”
The case materialized after prosecutors found evidence of human trafficking following Tilcock's arrest on prostitution-related charges by the Bay County Sheriff's in August 2024.
His latest arrest follows a 16-month investigation by the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Leon County Sheriff's Office, culminating in his apprehension by the U.S. Marshals Service in Roanoke, Virginia on Dec. 22.
Tilcock is charged with Human Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Activity, Deriving Support from the Proceeds of Prostitution, and Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Device. He is expected to be extradited to Florida in the coming days.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle the case moving forward.
Uthmeier's announcement follows a series of arrests in other cases over the past several weeks, including multiple cases involving child pornography and one for theft of athletic footwear.
Additionally, Uthmeier announced the recovery of over 40 missing children in a large recovery operation in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi earlier this month. The effort, dubbed Operation Northern Lights, also followed several other child rescue operations by Uthmeier and law enforcement officials in recent months.
