Cobb County Magistrate Court Judge Gerald Moore found probable cause to bind Jarad Barnes (also spelled “Jared” in the booking report) of Marietta over to Superior Court for trial on multiple charges related to suspicion of child sex trafficking.  The probable cause hearing for the suspect was held Tuesday afternoon.

The charges include allegations of enticing a child, child molestation, trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude, and keeping a place of prostitution.  Charges of possession of a firearm by a felon, and a theft by receiving charge related to the same gun, were dropped because the judge determined there wasn’t direct evidence that the gun found in the apartment was the suspects.

Detective P.A. Grant of the Cobb County Police Department testified that on October 28 the 15 year old victim fled from an apartment  on East Lake Parkway in Marietta where she was allegedly held, when the suspect had left the apartment.  

She contacted the police and told them she had run away from from her Mableton home in September, and stayed with a couple in Atlanta.  The Atlanta couple allegedly contacted Barnes, who sent a Lyft to pick up the victim to live with the suspect and his girlfriend.

Barnes allegedly had the victim photographed, and posted an ad in a publication containing advertising for prostitutes.  The victim told investigators that she was then put into prostitution for up to five men per evening, and that she was raped by the suspect on a number of occasions.

A warrant was taken out and the suspect was arrested on October 29.

During the probable cause hearing, the suspect’s defense attorney, Nathaniel Dobson, began asking the detective questions about the victim’s mental health.

Marc Cella, the assistant district attorney, objected, stating that such a line of questioning was specifically prohibited. “We’re not going to be blaming the victim here.”

The judge said he agreed, and Dobson withdrew the question.

Judge Moore bound the suspect over to Cobb County Superior Court to stand trial on all charges except the gun charge, and denied bond.