HOUSTON – A ‘self-proclaimed pimp’ is behind bars in Harris County after a Nebraska woman told investigators she came to Houston, got trafficked, and ended up in the hospital, according to an arrest warrant obtained by KPRC 2.
Lyndon Wilburn, 26, is charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution, drug possession, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. His total bond is set at $210,000.
Wilburn met the woman on Instagram, records show, before flying her from Nebraska to Houston on April 28 using a “buddy pass.”
Soon after her arrival, Wilburn is accused of taking her pictures and posting them on a website known for selling commercial sex, before taking her to hotels across town and even Baton Rouge, LA for commercial sex acts.
In a post to his Instagram story, he shared a photo from inside a hotel room with a song playing in the background that investigators said portrayed his lifestyle as a sex trafficker. She posted a similar photo overlooking a parking lot on her account.
The victim told investigators after her first day in Houston, she didn’t want to work for Wilburn anymore, so he allegedly assaulted her to keep her working.
She ended up with an abscess and was taken to a hospital near his apartment, records show, before being deemed “out of commission” and flying back to Nebraska on May 4.
Once home, she eventually made a sex trafficking outcry and reported to the Omaha Police Department.
An FBI agent then contacted a Texas DPS special agent, who had already been investigating Wilburn and watching his Instagram profile using an undercover account, according to records.
The victim told investigators Wilburn regularly wore “A Bathing Ape” clothing, which investigators said is commonly referred to as BAPE, and often used by “Gorilla pimps,” which they describe as a trafficker that inflicts pain or physical assaults on their victims to gain cooperation.
On Wilburn’s Instagram profile, there’s a “P” emoji under a highlight reel, which investigators wrote in records is a way traffickers promote their pimp occupation.
There are also videos of him holding guns and large sums of cash, which is a tactic, according to investigators, to glamorize, lure, and entice people into the lifestyle.
Investigators also observed the same decor in his Instagram photos as the decor in the background of the victim’ sex advertisement photos, according to records.
The warrant shows investigators believe he may have been benefitting from commercial sex acts of at least one other victim as well.
According to Harris County court records, Wilburn has been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault of family member. In both felony cases, records show he was granted deferred adjudication.