Posted on June 27, 2011

3 People Charged with Forcing 17-Year-Old into Prostitution

Jeffrey Wolf and Will Ripley, 9 News (Denver), June 22, 2011

Three people were formally charged on Wednesday over the allegations they forced a 17-year-old girl to participate in prostitution.

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Neighbor James Meredith says nobody suspected what was happening inside until a fight spilled into the street last week.

“I saw about four or five girls trying to bring another girl in the house,” Meredith said. “And the other girl was yelling and saying she wanted to die.”

A Denver Police affidavit says that victim was known as “the white girl” and her roommates were “punching her repeatedly” as she tried to escape “a forced prostitution situation.”

The affidavit says they also forced her to tattoo her pimp’s name on her chest and wear lingerie for pictures posted online. Clients reportedly paid as much as $200 for “dates” with the underage girl in the “sex room.”

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The DA charged 22-year-old Chester Gray with trafficking in children, pimping of a child and procurement of a child; 50-year-old Frank Devoe is charged with procurement of a child and inducement of child prostitution; and 24-year-old Ryann Pangle is charged with second-degree kidnapping, unlawful sexual contact and third-degree assault.

Prosecutors say Gray and Devoe convinced the victim into participating in prostitution and when she tried to leave, Pangle stopped her and assaulted her.

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