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Texas Man Charged with Sex Trafficking in New Mexico
A 19-year-old Lubbock man has been charged with transporting a person across state lines for the purpose of forcing them to engage in a commercial sex act. Markell Quashan Sweargin, 19, made his initial appearance in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., on a criminal complaint charging him with the crime.
According to the criminal complaint, on June 14, 2017, officers of the Hobbs Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call from a woman who alleged that Sweargin strangled and assaulted her during an altercation arising from her refusal to engage in a sexual act with another man for money.
The complaint alleges that Sweargin, the victim, and another person traveled from Lubbock to a hotel in Hobbs, N.M. Once in the hotel room, Sweargin allegedly attempted to coerce the victim into having sex with other men for money, and became angry when the victim refused.
When the victim refused to have sex with a man who came to the room in response to an advertisement on a webpage known to advertise prostitution services, Sweargin became angry and began to hit the victim. He then blocked the door to the hotel room to prevent the victim or the third person from leaving.
When Sweargin stepped away from the door, the victim and third person fled. Sweargin remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and detention hearing, both of which have yet to be scheduled.
If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Sweargin faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the HSI and the Hobbs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Human Trafficking|Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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