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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Attorney General's Office has charged a man with engaging in human trafficking in Salt Lake City.
Michael Allen Houston, 55, of Salt Lake City, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with two counts of the second-degree felony. In addition, he was charged with two counts of aggravated exploitation of a prostitute, a second-degree felony; and drug distribution, a second-degree felony.
Last week, an undercover Salt Lake City police officer responded to an ad in which a woman was allegedly offering sex, according to charging documents. A meeting was arranged and the woman was arrested.
The woman told investigators she met Houston two years ago, and ever since, he "posts advertisements online and schedules appointments for her to engage in commercial sex. Victim 1 stated that she is required to give all of the money she makes to Houston," according to charging documents.
If the woman fails to follow through with an appointment, Houston is "abusive" and will "whip" her, the charges state. The woman also said she is required to have at least one commercial sex appointment each day, according to court documents.
Investigators arranged to have the woman call Houston and tell him she was done with her appointment. He arrived a few minutes later as a passenger in a van with another man and at least one other woman, the charges state. Houston was taken into custody at that time.
The woman who was in the van told police she also met Houston two years ago and he "instructed her to make drug deals and commercial sex deals," the charges state.
The woman said two weeks earlier, she was part of a drug deal but did not get paid, according to the charges.
"Houston told Victim 2 she had to go prostitute herself to make his money back," court records state. "Victim 2 said Houston threatens to assault her on a daily basis to assure her compliance."
The man driving the van told investigators he drives, "Houston around to sell drugs and collect money. The driver reported that Houston deals heroin and crack cocaine to dozens of customers per day throughout Salt Lake Valley. The driver said the drugs in the van that night were the remainder of a larger quantity they had picked up earlier and distributed throughout that day," according to the charges.
The driver also said Victim 2 was forced to perform two to five commercial sex deals a day, the charges state.
Houston also has two other felony drug cases pending in 3rd District Court.
