Florida man charged with trafficking kids in Athens

By Joe Johnson

Athens police recently arrested a man who allegedly transported children from Florida to work here in a fraudulent scheme to raise money for a nonexistent nonprofit organization.

Jean Gilbert, 38, of Orlando, was charged last month with trafficking a person for labor servitude and multiple counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to reports, Gilbert was taken into custody at McDonald’s on Prince Avenue where the children were seen in surveillance video soliciting for the bogus organization called Awareness Youth.

According to published reports, when Gilbert was arrested for trafficking last year in Florida he had children roam the streets asking people for donations to the nonexistent organization.

Police transported the children to the Family Protection Center and took Gilbert to the county jail, where he is being held without bail.