Teen rescued from sex trafficking

A 17-year-old Texas girl was rescued from trafficking and forced prostitution in the Houston area after Harris County deputy constables went undercover to arrest three people Thanksgiving Day.

The girl, a runaway from La Grange in Central Texas, was trafficked to the Express Inn Motel on the North Freeway in Houston, Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said in a news release.

The accused traffickers posted Backpage ads to social media, Herman said. One of them reportedly threatened the girl by holding a gun to her head to make her submit to prostitution, he said.

“Rescuing this teen on Thanksgiving Day by our law enforcement was something to really give thanks for,” Herman said in the release. “I am very proud of our law enforcement men and women who worked on this special day.”

Arrested in connection with the case were Tevin Brown, 25; Kendra Kimball, 23; and Jaimian Sims, 25. Sims was charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution and unlawful possession of a firearm. Kimball faces a charge of compelling prostitution of a minor, and Brown was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon.

The teen was released into the custody of her mother and grandmother.

Half an ounce of marijuana and $6,467 in cash were also recovered at the scene, according to the constable’s office.