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Hamilton County's first human trafficking prosecution

Ann Thompson

Heroin apparently drove a Pleasant Plain, Ohio woman to traffic her 11-year-old daughter to her alleged drug dealer inside a Colerain Avenue apartment.

A Hamilton County grand jury hasindicted the mother, April Corcoran, on 27 felony counts in the first prosecution for human trafficking in state court in Hamilton County. She is also accused of giving her daughter heroin. The drug dealer, Shandell Willingham, was also indicted. Both face life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutor Joe Deters said at a Monday news conference, "We've had some 'bad mom' cases in the last week. This one, we're not dealing with mental issues, we're dealing with somebody with a highly toxic addiction."

The crimes are alleged to have taken place between February 15, 2014 and June 6, 2014.

The Prosecutor's Office is working with the Ohio Attorney General on the case. Mike DeWine said, "I think this case demonstrates how powerful heroin is. That heroin results in this horrible, horrible tragedy with this little child having to endure what she had to endure."

Statistics show 298 heroin deaths in Hamilton County last year. DeWine and Deters want the law strengthened to allow them to prosecute drug dealers for manslaughter.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.