Teen sex trafficking suspect indicted on 9 charges

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Iven Richardson was indicted this week on nine charges following a sex trafficking investigation, according to the indictment.

Trafficking allegations

The indictment alleges Richardson subjected a teen girl to sexual servitude in September 2025 and received the profits from it. The indictment says he recruited, enticed, harbored, transported and solicited her to multiple men.

The indictment also names the men described as “johns” who allegedly participated in the sexual servitude of the teen, as previously reported. Those men are identified as Andrew Carter, Malik Anderson and Franklin Thorpe.

Additional charges

Richardson is also accused of sexually assaulting the teen himself. In addition to trafficking the teen at a motel, he was indicted on statutory rape, aggravated child molestation, two counts of sexual exploitation of children, enticing a child for indecent purposes, and interstate interference with custody.

The indictment says Richardson subjected the teen to sodomy and sexual intercourse, and that he possessed photos of the teen engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The interference with custody charge stems from the teen being a runaway from Oklahoma, according to the indictment.

The teen was reportedly 15 years old at the time, according to the indictment.

Co-defendants indicted

Carter has since been indicted for trafficking the girl and aggravated child molestation. Deputies said Carter also benefited financially from the teen being trafficked.

“Mr. Andrew Carter, who not only engaged in sexual activities with the minor in question, but also provided some benefits to the minor and took a little bit more of a role other than just someone who was a client, or we’ll refer to as a ‘john’ in this case, and so he was charged accordingly with that,” said Capt. Gene Harley, commander of the Criminal Investigations Division with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

Thorpe and Anderson have also been indicted. Investigators said both men paid to be customers and were charged with trafficking and the sex acts committed during that time.

Anderson was out on bond following an arrest in a dog-fighting case, according to investigators.

Investigation background

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office human trafficking unit held a press conference when the girl was first rescued. Investigators said the trafficking allegedly happened in the I-95 and Highway 204 corridor at a hotel in the area.