HOUSTON – A dozen people have been indicted on federal charges of sex trafficking girls as young as 16 years old.
Nine of the 12 made an initial appearance before a judge Friday and were ordered to remain in custody.
"I just want my child home, I just want him home," said Toni Church, whose son is one of those named in the federal indictment. “That's stupid, it's stupid. He doesn't have to do that, he's got his family. He stays at home.”
Among those named in the indictment are Joseph Church, 31, Angela Marks, 23, Jamaal Crane, 25, Norris Moon, 23, Christopher Walton, 23, Ronnie Beasley, 19, William Franklin, 18, Jamier Coleman, 20, Lurkesha Baugh, 35, Alisa Kimber, 24, Stephanie Walker, 35 and Eric Page, 19. The defendants all live in Brazoria, Wharton and Harris counties.
The group is accused of prostituting young girls by putting their pictures on sexually oriented websites. Church and Marks are also accused of production of child pornography. A federal indictment reads the defendants are also accused of keeping all the money the girls made as prostitutes.
Church and Baugh were the only ones to say they were innocent of the charges when standing before a magistrate. A woman who said she was Crane’s mother was also in court but declined to talk.
Toni Church left the federal courthouse bewildered.
"This (isn’t) even his style. He doesn't even want to change his own little girl's diaper, let alone have sex trafficking. That's stupid, it's stupid," she said.
Without commenting on this case, Celinda Guerra with the Houston Area Women's Center said the Houston area is a major hub for trafficking.
"Manipulation is such a huge piece of this, promises that are made to these young women of things that will happen," Guerra said. “Because of the manipulation, it is difficult for someone to identify they're even in such a situation. In other instances threats are involved.”
Guerra said many young girls are lured through the promise of security, or a chance to be models or actresses. Guerra said traffickers seize on the vulnerability of youth and those disconnected from family.
"When someone is offering you so many things, whether they're simple or some extravagant thing, in that moment of vulnerability it is so easy to fall into that trap," Guerra said.
Guerra is the Center’s hotline manager and head of crisis intervention services. She said the public can be a tremendous help in reporting even suspicions of trafficking.
If you suspect someone is a victim of this crime, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.
