Family Members Arrested For Prostituting Girls
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Six people, including a mother and her four daughters, are accused of running a sex slave ring. Police say for three years the women sold underage teens for sex, and they now face felony criminal charges. What's even more shocking is a friend of one of the suspects tells CBS13 she is seeing more women turning to pimping.
"Man, I can't imagine having them being pimped out," said Bryan Stephens, a neighbor of the family.
"That's basically what they do out here," said Tammy Ann Victor, a neighbor.
Some residents in one South Sacramento neighborhood are not shocked to hear that a family of five women: four sisters and their mom are accused of teaming up with a family friend to become lady pimps.
"They can't be having that out here. Pimping little 13-14 years old out here," said Stephens.
"This is the first time I've seen multiple family members involved in anything like this," said Assistant US Attorney Kyle Reardon.
Reardon is prosecuting the women. They're the Hornbuckle girls. They're all college age and feds say the women found several trusting young girls and worked them.
"The girls are attracted by promises of money. They're attracted by promises of power and travel," said Reardon.
The Hornbuckles allegedly sold them to johns and frequently took them to a local motel. Investigators say it went on for three years.
"But today it's not about the men, it's more about the women," said Victor.
A friend of one of the suspects says today's young teenage prostitute bonds more quickly with lady pimps than men.
"Most guys are rough. Women are more gentle, motherly," said Victor.
"You might be looking, as everybody is, for some kind of love and affection," said Ellyne Bell with The Wind Youth Services.
Bell runs a shelter for abused and homeless teens. She says 90 percent of the girls they help are have been sexually exploited. There's a market for boys too.
"We don't hear about it as much, but its affecting young men as well as young women," said Bell.
The feds say the women were caught after feeling comfortable enough to market the teens online. Investigators say lady pimps are not the motherly type.
"Beaten by their pimps, being abused by their pimps being robbed by the johns that come in and have sex with them," said Reardon.
There is a 13-count indictment against the family. The feds are hoping the six women spend many years behind bars.
There's no word on the condition of the three victims.
