FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Several teenage gang members have
been arrested on suspicion of forcing girls as young as 12 into a
prostitution ring, police said Tuesday.
Gang members allegedly targeted runaways and other girls with unstable homes for the prostitution ring.
After befriending the girls and getting them high, Varrio Central gang
members took them to some regular customers and then sought other men
by trolling apartment complexes, offering the girls' services for $50,
Fort Worth police Lt. Ken Dean said.
The gang apparently
targeted runaways and other girls with unstable homes, and if the girls
refused to have sex for money the members beat and sexually assaulted
them and threatened their families, Dean said.
"The age of the
victims and suspects is the surprising part of it," Dean said. "To have
such young individuals in a somewhat organized business, a forced
prostitution ring, is somewhat alarming and such a horrendous crime
against the 12- to 16-year-old girls."
Fort Worth
detectives found five victims, ages 12 to 16, but believe there may be
more. Those girls are back with relatives or in other safe places, he
said, declining to elaborate.
A 15-year-old girl who may be a
gang member helped the suspects by going to the victims' houses to pick
them up under the pretense of going shopping or to a movie, which
fooled the parents, said Lt. Dan Draper. Watch mom react to teen prostitution arrests »
Four alleged gang members were arrested January 3 after they took a
14-year-old to a convenience store to have sex with the owner, a
regular customer of the prostitution ring, police said.
Diego
Rodriguez, 19, and Martin Reyes, 17, were charged with counts including
engaging in organized criminal activity, aggravated kidnapping and
trafficking of a person. Rodriguez, held on $170,000 bond, did not have
an attorney, and a lawyer for Reyes, held on $150,000 bond, could not
be reached for comment Tuesday.
The cases of two boys, ages 15
and 16, and the 15-year-old girl accused of helping the gang are being
handled in the juvenile system. Police expect more arrests as the
investigation continues, Dean said.
The convenience store owner,
Chang Hyeong Lee, 56, was charged with aggravated kidnapping, engaging
in organized criminal activity and prostitution. He remained jailed
Tuesday with bail set at $300,000. His attorney could not immediately
be reached.
Police discovered the prostitution ring after a
woman was arrested in August in a neighborhood allegedly offering men
sex with a 14-year-old girl for $50. Police have declined to reveal the
relationship between Debra Flores Castillo, 33, who was charged with
compelling prostitution, and the teen gang members.
She was released on a $20,000 bond. Her attorney, Mark Scott, declined to comment.
Jorge Martinez, accused of paying for sex with the teen in August, remained jailed on $10,000 bond Tuesday on a
sexual assault of a child charge. His attorney did not immediately return a call.
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