Virginia Beach, Va. - One of five people busted in Virginia Beach in early October as part of the FBI's Nationwide human trafficking operation was denied bond again during a court appearance on Thursday.
Shade A. Castro, Tajaika R. Blackston, Cordario M. Uzzle, Keith D. Threat and Darryl T. Threat were arrested at the Virginia Beach Econo Lodge, which is one of the locations they’re accused of operating from.
They were each charged with sex trafficking with the intent to receive money, receiving money from the earnings of a minor prostitute and racketeering.
Blackston, Castro and the Threats were also charged with aiding prostitution. Three are also facing maintaining a bawdy place charges.
The charges came to light after a 16-year-old victim escaped from the operation.
At their first court appearance after the arrest, all of the suspects except Castro admitted to their participation in the operation. They were all denied bond.
Castro appealed the bond denial and appeared in court again on Thursday.
During the bond hearing, more details on the 16-year-old’s escape from her captors were revealed.
According to a detective’s testimony, the teen was being sold for sex for about two weeks in several hotels in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The Commonwealth’s Attorney says Keith Threat and Cordario Uzzle slapped and kicked her to the point of bleeding.
The detective also testified that the girl got away by telling the accused pimps that a family member had just died. One of the suspects reportedly told the girl that if she didn’t come back, they’d hurt her younger sister – threatening to prostitute her out as well.
At the bond hearing, the Commonwealth says Castro was one of the ones who forced the girl into prostitution and posted ads of the girl on BackPage.com.
The judge denied bond again for Castro, saying he believed she is a danger to the community.
Castro and the other four will return to court in December.
