A couple in Marion County, Florida, has been apprehended and charged with human trafficking after allegedly exploiting three women they had bonded out of jail. Joselito Martinez and Tanya Wurster are now facing charges related to the trafficking of these women between 2019 and 2021. The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation revealed that the victims were forced into prostitution after being provided housing by the couple. The investigation estimates that Martinez and Wurster made over $300,000 from the victims that they exploited during this two-year period.
According to the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, Martinez and Wurster are accused of coercing the women into engaging in “commercial sex acts with customers” after bonding them out of jail and offering them a place to live. The victims were allegedly subjected to control through the use of narcotics, threats of violence, and degrading acts such as shaving their heads. Additionally, Martinez forced two of the women to receive tattoos as a means of branding them as his property. Shockingly, their child was present in the home where these exploitative activities took place.
Authorities suspect that there may be more victims, as Martinez and Wurster were actively seeking new victims. The couple was arrested and subsequently booked into the Orange County Jail. The charges they face include human trafficking, a serious offense that carries severe penalties.
Law enforcement agencies and organizations dedicated to combating human trafficking play a crucial role in identifying and rescuing victims, as well as bringing the perpetrators to justice. The arrest of Martinez and Wurster is a significant step towards dismantling this particular trafficking operation and seeking justice for the victims involved.