14-year-old girl brought to Houston in sex trafficking, deputies say

Name: Teresa Henry Date of Birth: 05/20/1997 Age: 20 Charge(s): Human Trafficking of a Minor (1st Degree Felony), and Compelling Prostitution of a Minor (1st Degree Felony) Bond Amount: $100,000.00 Court: 180th District Court Current Disposition: CURRENTLY IN JAIL less Name: Teresa Henry Date of Birth: 05/20/1997 Age: 20 Charge(s): Human Trafficking of a Minor (1st Degree Felony), and Compelling Prostitution of a Minor (1st Degree Felony) Bond Amount: $100,000.00 Court: 180th ... more Photo: Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Photo: Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 14-year-old girl brought to Houston in sex trafficking, deputies say 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A 14-year-old runaway believed to have been lured into a human trafficking organization from Chicago has been recovered in Houston, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman announced Friday.

Authorities had been looking for a north Harris County runaway by scouring potential online prostitution ads, and thought they'd found the girl on Thursday afternoon.

Constables raided a hotel room off U.S. 45 North and realized they had stumbled upon a 14-year-old from the Chicago area they believe was lured into a trafficking operation. The girl was with two women.

Around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office investigators saw a teen in "provocative pictures" that closely resembled a local runaway who went missing a few weeks ago, according to Herman, who held a news conference Friday morning.

"By 8 o'clock last night, we had her and the other two females in custody," he said.

Herman said this incident is just the beginning of an investigation that could further connect the dots in Houston, one of the nation's top hubs for human trafficking.

"Our investigation is not finished by any means," the constable said. "We do feel like there is going to be more to this story."

Human trafficking unit investigators initiated the rescue by quickly setting up a "date" with the girl they had spotted online. They agreed to meet at the North Villa Inn at 16510 North Freeway.

When officers arrived, they realized the girl was an Illinois teen.

"She looked almost identical to the one we were looking for," Herman said. "We thought it was our runaway until they got in the room."

Teresa Henry, 20, is charged with human trafficking of a minor and compelling prostitution of a minor. She is being held on $100,000 bail.

Centurrie Deshunn Garrett, 24, is charged with compelling prostitution of a minor and remains in custody on $50,000 bail. She had a 6-week-old infant in an adjoining room; Child Protective Services released the baby to relatives who came to the scene, Herman said.

Both women remain in the Harris County jail.

The incident happened in an area known for prostitution and where the Harris County Attorney's Office has sought injunctions against motels. A Precinct 4 raid in June in the I-45 area near FM 1960 netted more than a dozen arrests.

"Anybody we find had dealings with this 14-year-old will be prosecuted," Herman said. "I do anticipate more charges being filed and possibly on other folks."

The victim was placed in the state's care, pending medical treatment and additional interviews.