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Francisco Torrellas of Allentown — also known as “Dream,” “Daddy,” and “Pretty,” originally was charged with a federal complaint on May 25 and was arrested in Pennsylvania four days later.
The indictment returned today says Torrellas ran traveling brothels out of several hotels.
“Torrellas acted as a ‘pimp,’ employing young women, one of whom was a 16-year-old girl, to work for him as prostitutes,” U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. “Torrellas required the girl to give him all of the money she made from performing sexual acts on customers, including any tips.
“The girl was also told that she was expected to earn $1,500 per day, except for Sundays, when she was expected to earn $750.”
Torrellas took photos of the girl, posing seductively in a thong and bra, which were used in advertisements on backpage.com.
“When [she] told Torrellas that she was only 16 years old, Torrellas instructed her to tell clients that she was 19,” Fishman said. “After the minor asked Torrellas to return her cell phone and told Torrellas that she wanted to leave, Torrellas told her he had broken [it] and directed another woman to keep a close eye on the minor.”
Another time, he said, Torrellas struck the girl in the face for not following his orders. The girl told FBI agents that he also choked and slapped other women in his stable.
Fishman credited the FBI, as well as the Secaucus, Jersey City, and the Allentown, Pa., police departments with the investigation leading to today’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana W. Chen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office OC/Gangs Unit in Newark.
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