HOUSTON – A 22-year-old woman appeared in court Monday on charges of promoting prostitution of a teenage girl, but both attorney and the prosecutor say she may also be a victim.
Kaylyn Redding is accused of promoting the prostitution of a teenage girl.
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According to the probable cause in court, the teen told investigators that she was being forced to have sex with men for money.
According to Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the teen had run away from home and was found and rescued from a trafficking situation.
The teen told investigators which hotel she’d been staying at and that’s where they found Redding.
During the investigation, authorities also discovered three online sex ads featuring both the teen and Redding.
BACKGROUND: Officers rescue teen from trafficking situation; woman charged with promotion of prostitution
Redding appeared before a judge this morning, where bond conditions were set. Notably, this isn’t her first encounter with the law. She was previously arrested in June on a prostitution charge.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office agreed to reduce Redding’s bond from $50,000 to $25,000. As part of her release conditions, Redding is prohibited from any contact with minors, except for family members.
“I agreed in cutting it in half because we still, like I said, we don’t know what her role is,” said Tim Boman, with the Harris County DA’s Office . “She can be a victim. She can be a perpetrator. She could be a combination of the two.”
“She did not state she was being trafficked, she didn’t make any sort of outcry, however the juvenile when she was talking to the officers mentioned a couple of other individuals that were not at the hotel. I mean, that’s why these cases are extremely complex,” Boman said.
Redding’s attorney, Emily A. Shelton, was appointed to the case this morning.
“The allegation is that she was in a hotel room with a man who hasn’t been caught yet and was allegedly compelling young women to prostitution,” Shelton said. “My main concern with this case is that she is a possible victim as well, as oftentimes does happen in these cases.”
Shelton said Redding has absolutely asserted her innocence.
“And until the state can prove otherwise, that’s the stance I’m taking,” she stated.