Houston, Texas (KTRK) – A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty to sex trafficking waitresses, including a minor, outside the back room of his family’s cantina, about a month after his mother pleaded guilty to orchestrating the brothel.
Edgar Botelho admitted to trafficking sex by force, fraud, or coercion and conspiracy to do so, as well as possession of child pornography.
Botelho reportedly worked with his mother, María Botelho Morales, to run a cantina known as Puerto Alegre. Authorities say they forced several girls to have commercial sex in purpose-built backrooms from 2015 to 2020.
The above video is from ABC13’s previous reporting on Maria Botello-Morales, where her family was also accused in the sex trafficking operation.
Botelho Morales, who authorities said lives illegally in Houston, pleaded guilty to the charges in January.
The authorities said they would remain in detention until their sentencing, scheduled for June. The duo faces a life sentence for sex trafficking. Botello faces up to 10 more years for possession of child pornography.
ABC13 reported on the family in 2021, when allegations surfaced that Botello-Morales was running a sex trafficking operation with her family.
Read more: Family accused of forcing waitresses at a Houston bar to perform sexual acts
The victims included two adults and at least one minor.
On April 2, 2021, law enforcement searched Botelho’s residence where they found several weapons in his room and a computer with child pornography.
Authorities said Botello-Morales recruited an underage girl from Mexico in 2007 for commercial sex and then took payments from buyers.
Victims told investigators that they started out at the bar as waitresses, but things quickly turned around when Botelho Morales told them they had to have commercial sex.
The Harris County District Attorney’s office said in a news release that Botelho threatened and intimidated these victims with violence into manipulating them into sexual acts for his personal financial benefit.
According to a complaint filed March 30, 2021, Botelho’s cousin, Ariane Botelho, was a so-called “enforcer” who used weapons, threats, and intimidation to keep the women in compliance.
Some of the victims told investigators that they even witnessed acts of violence and weapons in the bar and in the back area where the sex crimes would be committed.
Another victim described that when she refused to return to work, Botelho Morales sent someone to physically assault her.
Victims told investigators how they were given a condom wrapped in a paper towel, spent no more than 15 minutes in a back room with clients, and had to charge nearly $70. On their way out, they had to hand the money over to the person guarding the room.
Botello-Morales’ daughter, Yudy Lucatero, and her cousin, Arian Botello, were charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to do so in March 2021.
WATCH: Survivor talks about being ‘courteous’ as a sex-trafficking teen at school amid new Texas law
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https://abc13.com/sex-trafficking-in-houston-family-operates-brothel-puerto-alegre-waitresses-abused-edgar-botello-pleads-guilty/12893634/
