Sex Trafficking Victim, 14, Rescued During Disturbance Call

SPRING, TX — A call for medical assistance at an area motel led to the rescue of a 14-year-old runaway who was being forced into prostitution. Deputy constables arrested Allen Lee Auston, 29, and charged him with human trafficking of a minor, aggravated prostitution of a minor, and compelling prostitution. He is being held in the Harris County Jail without bond.

Deputy constables were called to the Super 8 Motel in the 16000 block of Interstate 45 north in Spring on Wednesday for a disturbance.

Harris County Pct. 4 Constable Mark Herman said when deputies arrived, they met with a woman who said she needed a ride to the hospital.

Herman said patrol deputies were suspicious of the entire situation and began to question other women in the room.

"Their investigation led them to this room where they found Alan Auston, a 26-year-old woman with a 2-year-old child, and the 14-year-old juvenile," Herman said.

When deputies began investigating, Herman said they got conflicting stories about why they were in the room. Herman said the 14-year-old girl initially gave deputies a false name, but they soon learned she's runaway from a community about 100 miles from Houston.

"They [deputies] were able to determine that this 14-year-old girl was being used for sexual purposes by Mr. Auston," Herman said. "He'd been basically pimping her out on the streets of north Harris County."

The girl was taken Texas Children's Hospital in the Woodlands for a medical evaluation, and was released to her parents on Friday.

Herman said the charges against Auston are all first-degree felonies that each carry a possible sentence of five-99 years if convicted.

"We are very happy to get him off the streets," Herman said.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether the 26-year-old woman found in the motel room with Austin was also a trafficking victim, or if she was an accomplice to Austin.

"She was not as cooperative as the juvenile , but there is still a party of that process going on," he said. "There could be more charges filed against Mr. Auston."

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