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Thursday, March 25, 2004 Deputies say teen daughters forced into prostitutionBy KRISTEN MOCZYNSKI PIERSON — A mother is accused of charging men $50 to $65 to have sex with her two teenage daughters, sheriff's officials said Wednesday. Two family members told sheriff's investigators the Pierson woman forced two of her daughters into prostitution by threatening violence, according to reports. She is charged with two counts of child abuse, two counts of procuring a minor for prostitution and one count of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution. The Daytona Beach News-Journal is not naming the woman to protect the identities of her daughters. The 33-year-old woman, who was arrested Tuesday, posted $15,500 bail the same day. Sheriff's investigator Steve White said the investigation is ongoing and more people might be implicated. "There's so much left for us to do on this thing," said White, who works in the sex crimes division. "These cases are extremely complicated, extremely difficult." So far, investigators say they have heard from the girls, family members and other witnesses that the mother took the children to "friends of friends" two or three times a week, beginning in November and ending around the first of the year. That's when the girls' sister and aunt went to authorities with the allegations. The Department of Children & Families also was notified of the reported abuse and placed the children in a safe home, White said. According to an arrest affidavit, both girls have told investigators they were taken to homes in DeLand and Crescent City to have sex with Mexican men. Another witness, who is a friend of the mother, said she saw the mother exchange money and one of the girls go into a house with a man, according to the sheriff's report. She said the mother used the money from the prostitution to buy a car. White said cases of parents forcing their children into prostitution are few and far between. "Usually, it's drug-related," he said. But White said there is no indication the mother or the girls are using drugs. "It was all about the money," he said. The mother does not have a criminal history, according to Florida records. She would not comment Wednesday about how she planned to defend herself against the |
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