Virginia father wrongly accused of human trafficking on Southwest flight with daughter and her friend

A Virginia father, John Kerrigan, was wrongly accused of human trafficking while flying with his 15-year-old daughter and her 16-year-old friend on Southwest Airlines. The incident occurred on October 21 during a flight from Denver to Norfolk. Flight attendants questioned the girls about their relationship with Kerrigan, raising suspicions. After landing, airport police met the family and questioned Kerrigan for 20 minutes before releasing him without charges. Southwest Airlines stated that its staff are trained to identify signs of human trafficking under the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Lightning Initiative. Kerrigan criticized the treatment he received, calling it humiliating despite understanding the need to combat trafficking.