Pair released after arrest; Lawrence police continue investigating suspected child-trafficking case

Lawrence police continue investigating a case that led to the arrests of a man and woman on suspicion of child-trafficking and sex crimes, though the pair was released from jail Monday without being charged.

“This case is still being thoroughly investigated,” Officer Drew Fennelly of the Lawrence Police Department said Tuesday in an email. “Processing the evidence will take some time, and once the investigation is completed in its entirety, it will be turned back over to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”

While no charges have been filed in the incident at this time, a criminal case or cases could be filed later “upon the receipt and review of additional law enforcement investigation,” Cheryl Wright Kunard, assistant to the DA, said in an email on Tuesday.

A 33-year-old man and 29-year-old woman, who share an address in eastern Lawrence, were booked into jail Saturday afternoon on suspicion of aggravated human trafficking of a person under 18, contributing to a child’s misconduct and child endangerment, according to jail records.

The man also was booked on suspicion of rape with a physically powerless victim, and the woman was booked on suspicion of sexual battery, according to jail records.

Police responded to the area of the home late Saturday morning, according to the Lawrence Police Department’s daily call log.

Police categorized the related incident as a sex crime investigation but declined to share additional details about the case.

Police confirmed they arrested two people and submitted affidavits to the DA’s office, but those affidavits did not lead to charges being filed Monday. Jail records indicate the man and woman were both released from custody Monday afternoon.