DENVER (CBS4)- A teenager said she ran away from a home where she was being held as a prostitute. Three people, Frank Devoe, Chester Gray and Ryann Pangle are facing charges related to child prostitution and kidnapping.
Frank Devoe (credit: Denver District Attorney)
The teen told police she was being held against her will at a home in Montbello, tattooed with the name of her pimp and beaten. She told police she was called “the white girl” and that Devoe was her alleged pimp.
A neighbor saw the girl walking down the street with blood visible on her body.
Chester Gray (credit: Denver District Attorney)
“What came through my head was somebody beat her up. She was bleeding from her face and running to the neighbor’s house,” said neighbor Alma Cardenas.
Ryann Pangle (credit: Denver District Attorney)
The girl ran to the house to get help. That’s where she found Sam Urton and asked if she could use his cell phone to call 911, but then the people from the house where she was held captive approached him.
“They told me it was okay, she was just drunk. She lived with them and it was okay, but it was obvious to me it wasn’t okay. It was obvious that she was being abused,” said Urton.
Later she told police she was offered for prostitution through an internet chat site and one for escorts. She said she was not paid as promised and that she was only 17 years old at the time.
She finally made her escape after being assaulted for not cleaning the house.
“I saw them trying to pull one girl into the house and the girl didn’t want to go back inside,” said witness James Meredith.
Eventually she was able to escape and police arrived at the home to investigate her claims.
“Oh, man. That’s crazy, forcing young girls into prostitution, that’s sad,” said neighbor Dane Gray.
Police indicated there was no question that those accused knew the girl was a minor. Her 18th birthday was recently celebrated in the home.
