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SALT LAKE CITY — Three people who police say transported a 14-year-old girl from Colorado to Utah for prostitution were arrested over the weekend.
Early Saturday, vice detectives arrested three people at a motel, 1009 S. Main, who traveled from Colorado after arranging what they thought was a meeting with a man wanting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl, according to Salt Lake police.
The "John" was actually an undercover police officer.
It's not common they find a 14-year-old who has been brought to be used as a prostitute.
–Detective Cary Whichmann, SLCPD
"It seems to be more of a mobile operation that they were doing," Salt Lake City Police Detective Cary Whichmann said Monday, "and luckily we were able to make the arrests here in Salt Lake. That led to the discovery of the 14-year-old."
Roscoe Gallman, 28, of Colorado Springs, Abelina Roybal, 20, of Denver, and 24-year-old Sasha Montiel were arrested for investigation of various charges including aggravated exploitation of a minor, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, money laundering, identity fraud, false information to a police officer, obstruction of justice, possession of marijuana, sex solicitation and operating a sexually oriented business without a license. Gallman also had a warrant out for his arrest in a separate incident.
The two women and the teen girl all had ads on the Internet as escorts, according to Salt Lake County Jail reports. The teen being used as a prostitute was a runaway, the reports state. Salt Lake undercover detectives spotted the online ads.
Roybal also agreed to a sex act with an undercover police officer and was "using the proceeds from the prostitution activities to procure motel rooms to engage in more prostitution activities," the reports state.
"It's not common they find a 14-year-old who has been brought to be used as a prostitute," Whichmann said. "It's a good thing we were able to find her here."
Police were not releasing a lot of information about the teen being used as a prostitute. Investigators said she was not kidnapped and was not arrested. She was taken into state protective custody and will eventually be reunited with her family.
Written by Pat Reavy and Sam Penrod.
