Noemi Ramos

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office today said tha a Fort Myers woman has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after detectives with the Human Trafficking Unit began looking into allegations that four children were victims of forced servitude.

They said Noemi Ramos of 5634 Eighth Avenue, Fort Myers, in the Pine manor area, has been charged with four counts of aggravated child abuse – malicious punishment, a first degree felony, and four counts of forced labor or services by human trafficking, a second degree felony.

The investigation revealed that Ramos was forcing one child to commit acts of prostitution in order to obtain a variety of drugs or money to buy drugs. In other instances, investigators said the suspect would use the child in to victimize her male companions and rip them off for more money.

For almost two years, all four children were forced to purchase drugs on the suspect’s behalf, investigators said. The children would go to the home of drug traffickers despite their fears and objections. Refusal to participate resulted in beatings and emotional abuse, investigators said.

They learned the punishment given the four children was severe and included beatings with broomsticks, hangers and, in at least one instance , a hammer.

Investigators said the suspect intentionally urinated on one of the children on one occasion.

Ramos is accused of leaving the children without proper supervision hours at a time. Additionally, the children endured periods where there was no food for them to eat, while the suspect spent her money for drugs, they said. At other times she would threaten to, or actually, withhold food for misbehavior. She threatened them with beatings if they did not lie to Department of Children and Families investigators looking into the abuse allegations, investigators said. Ramos was arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail.