HOUSTON – A man forced at least 10 women into prostitution not only in Houston but across the state, police said Wednesday.
Marquis Holmes, 27, was charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution, two counts of trafficking of a person and two counts of compelling prostitution by force.
Houston police said Holmes was arrested Friday after a lengthy investigation of crimes that happened in Houston and elsewhere in Texas.
Investigators said Holmes forced the women to perform sexual acts at hotels and on the streets. If the women did not get the correct amount of money, they were attacked, investigators said. The attacks ranged from being hit with a vehicle to being severely beaten, investigators said. In some cases, the lives of the women’s children were threatened, investigators said.
Police said anyone with information about Holmes or any other cases of human trafficking are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.