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Shelby man accused of trafficking twin girls

Cleveland County deputies say Derrell Russell met the teens on Facebook and brought them from South Carolina to Shelby.

SHELBY, N.C. — A Shelby man is in jail after Cleveland County deputies accused him of trafficking two pre-teen sisters, giving them marijuana and raping one of them.

Deputies said Derrell Russell met the twin sisters on Facebook back in March before he brought them to Shelby.

Sheriff Alan Norman said when the sisters' family found out, they called deputies who began a social media sting operation on Russell.

This case is the latest to highlight what authorities call a major problem in the Carolinas: human trafficking.

As a result of the Tar Heel state ranking among the most human trafficking cases in the country, the SBI launched a special unit to prosecute traffickers and get victims help.

In the Cleveland County case, Russell remains in jail under a $1 million bond.

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