HISD Student Fleeing Trafficked Objects: A Federal Investigation Curtails Sex Trafficking of Minors

Houston, Texas (KTRK) – An ISD student from Houston escaped sex trafficking after going to her school for help.

This information comes from a federal investigation that details nine men and women accused of sex trafficking adults and minors along Bissonnette Street in an area commonly referred to as “The Bled.”

The federal criminal complaint focuses on photos, texts, and direct messages between three pimps and three girls, ages 14 to 16, as evidence that the men were directing them on what, when, and where to do. The men at the center of the investigation are Damarquez McGee, Javon Yao Opoku and Andre Serrano Portillo. On Wednesday, Opoku pleaded guilty to trafficking the 15-year-old.

“It’s sad to say that here in Harris County, we have a huge problem with sexually trafficked minors,” said Duck Cohen, Harris County Assistant District Attorney for the DA’s Anti-Trafficking and Exploitation Division.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sex trafficking of minors has swelled, Cohen said, and once a young person is sucked into this world, it is difficult to get out.

“When you have a younger mind, it’s easier to mold, shape, and influence it. It’s more adaptable to violence,” Cohen said.

Investigators said that these girls were beaten by their pimps if they appeared to be out of line, and that most of their earnings went into the pockets of their alleged abusers. One of the girls even had her abuser’s name tattooed above her eyes.

Law enforcement agencies often promote large-scale prostitution stings, arresting both alleged prostitutes and pimps. ABC13 also covered stories about young girls who are victims of human trafficking. We wanted to know how the DA’s office determines who is the victim and who is putting the handcuffs on.

Often, Cohen said, men and women who are found selling themselves for sexual purposes will face a misdemeanor charge of prostitution even though they themselves are the victims.

“Our program here under DA (Kim) Ogg is what we call Project 180, which is going to have these individuals do a forensic interview; we don’t force them to say anything. We just see what they have to say, and hopefully we can get information that enables us to go after them.” And put them in that position.”

Participation in these district-wide interviews can clear a misdemeanor.

Victims could face harsher charges if they begin to help recruit other victims and participate in abuses that prevent people from seeking help.

“What we see sometimes is that the seller or the prostitute was so controlled, their minds so distorted by the pimp that they got involved in the project,” Cohen said.

Anyone seeking assistance can visit the project 180,Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center or National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website.

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