CSECArchive 2008–2016

CSEC in Albuquerque, New Mexico (2011)

A CSEC case from 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.

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Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don’t have a verifiable source on file yet. Know one?

What happened

Police said Kendel Morrel, 22, not only coerced a 17-year-old girl to sell herself for sex, but he also tried to sell her for a three-day period as a sex slave. Action 7 News spoke with the undercover agent who exposed the crime. “I believe whole-heartedly that this girl initially started out thinking there would be a job -- a connection possibly turning into a relationship,” said the undercover agent. The teen met Morrell over Facebook, police said. When the teen posted a notification asking for a job, Morrell jumped at the opportunity, according to the agent. “Conversation went over for a period of time, where he was really grooming her for the act of prostitution,” said the undercover agent. Morrell told the girl she'd be selling hip-hop magazines and CDs, but soon the story changed, according to police. Police said he coaxed the underage girl to have sex, then gave her a phone and instructions. “(He said) whenever you answer it, you need to say that it's X amount of dollars for 15 min. X amount for 30 min. X amount for an hour's time -- you're going to treat these guys fair,” said the undercover agent. Police said Morrell posted racy photos of the girl on Backpage.com to find clients. The girl told police that he made her have sex with at least one man who knew she was underage. Police also said that Morrell took the 17-year-old to a meeting with several other people and agreed to sell [her] for $3,000 for three days.

Response and intervention

Police arrested Morrell at his apartment and seized his computer as well. Morrell faces human trafficking, criminal sexual penetration and sexual exploitation of a child charges. Morrell was on probation at the time for other crimes Shortly after the [“sales”] meeting, the girl was able to get a ride to a McDonald's, where she contacted her family to get a ride home. No aftercare was reported.

Nearby cases

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Sex Trafficking2010

Albequerque, New Mexico, United States, 2010

United States US

Tilford Black offered an 18 year old runaway food, shelter, and money. She agreed, and was then forced to engage in sexual acts for money, and hand the money over to Black. Black admitted that he "knowingly recruited, solicited, enticed, obtained or transported the victim with the intent or knowledge that force, fraud or coercion was used to subject her to engage in commercial sexual activity."

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

CSEC2001

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 2001

United States US

Walker and the victim, a 16-year-old girl, had been dating for a year in Oklahoma. After a year, they convinced the victim’s mother to let them leave Oklahoma. They came to Albuquerque at the end of September, 2001. Once there, the victim reports that Walker beat her and forced her to work as a prostitute and turn her earnings over to him. Walker and his girlfriend came to Albuquerque at the end of September, where they lived in a motel room. According to the criminal complaint, Walker told police that the 16-year-old used to "work for him but she did not make a lot of money so he let her go." Walker "admitted to being a 'pimp,' '' according to the complaint, though he told police that the other two teens didn't work for him. The 16-year-old was arrested for prostitution, and told police that Walker was forcing her to work as a prostitute. Shortly before the 16-year-old’s arrest, Walker returned from a trip to Phoenix with a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016

Domestic Servitude2011

Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States, 2011

United States US

Elina Sihombing Age: 47 Recruiting, harboring and transporting individuals for the purpose of forced labor, and removing or confiscating the victims' immigration documents David Girle Age: 54 Both of them are owners of America's Best Value Inn on Picacho Avenue in Las Cruces, NM. The couple was charged with "obtaining the labor and services of two Indonesian women by force, threats of force and physical restraint" according to a criminal complaint by the U.S. Department of Justice. According to the criminal complaint, in 2004, Sihombing and Girle allegedly brought the first of their two alleged victims from Indonesia to Phoenix, Ariz., where they were then living, as a nanny for their toddler and with the understanding that the alleged victim would have the opportunity to obtain an education and prepare for a career. Instead, the victim allegedly was forced to work as a nanny and household help and assisted with remodeling of the couple's residence from 8 a.m. to midnight every day, but was never paid for her work and was never given an opportunity to attend college as she was promised. The complaint alleges that, in 2005, Sihombing and Girle brought another woman to Phoenix from Indonesia who did the same type of work for the couple without any pay. The complaint further alleges that on July 27, 2007, Sihombing and Girle moved to Las Cruces where they purchased America's Best Value Inn and lived on the motel grounds. Sihombing and Girle allegedly told the two victims that, after the motel was remodeled and sold, they would be paid for their labor, according to the complaint. Sihombing and Girle allegedly required their victims to work from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day with no days off. The victims were not allowed to leave the motel and were only allowed access to their families in Indonesia if the contact was monitored by the couple, the complaint alleges. In 2009, the victims allegedly asked Girle about their immigration documents, and he told them he had them for safekeeping. Girle also advised them that their visas had expired. Sihombing allegedly withheld food from the victims as punishment and also threatened to call immigration authorities if the two did not do as Sihombing demanded. The complaint alleges that this type of treatment continued until Jan. 4, 2010, when the two victims left the motel.

2 sourcesArchive 2008–2016