HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department’s Vice Division is making a child sex trafficking case against a man accused of using social media to recruit innocent Houston area girls, some as young as 14.
The case against 23-year-old Malik Hayman is growing.
After a two-month investigation, four new charges were filed Wednesday against the alleged pimp, who vice officers arrested in September on two child trafficking charges.
Police identified nine to 10 victims and believe there may be more.
“This suspect, he beat them continuously, engaged in sexual offenses with them, filmed it. So they were terrified of him. They don't want to come forward because they are worried in the future he's going to come after them or come after one of their siblings,” Cmdr. J. Dale, of HPD’s Vice Division, said.
Police said Hayman used popular social media apps as a tool to recruit girls, using their vulnerabilities to his advantage.
“They are very methodical and patient so it can take months to get them. It's a brainwashing, a mind manipulation," Dale said.
In one case, police said Hayman forced one of his victims to work the Bissonnet corridor, an area of Houston known for prostitution. When she refused, police said, he beat her.
Police also said when another one of his victims didn’t come back with any money, he dragged her across the asphalt.
The girls Hayman is accused of trafficking are getting help from local victim service providers. Police said based on the nature of some of the charges, like continuous trafficking of a person, Hayman is looking at the possibility of life behind bars if he’s convicted.
Here are the charges he's facing:
- Two charges of continuous trafficking of persons
- Two charges of compelling prostitution
- Two charges of trafficking of persons
- Aggravated promotion of prostitution enhanced to first degree felony due to age of victims
- Sexual performance of child
- Attempted compelling prostitution