Many young girls are seeking shelter from abuse. The girl, who stands 4 foot 11 and has an olive complexion and long, wavy dark hair, disappeared for days. Then an uncle was shocked to come across a nude picture of Desiree in the shower posted on the Craigslist Web site.
He called the telephone number listed looking for his niece. She answered and, recognizing his voice, hung up. Technology and cell phones have given pimps greater reach and the ability to solicit pedophiles from all over the country who are willing to pay top dollar for sex with children. Demand is great, and the profits are huge. She also was arrested on charges of possession of drugs and truancy. It was last winter when Desiree went to the mall with some high school girlfriends who, after telling her how much money they could make as prostitutes, recruited her.
Desiree agreed to share her story because she wants others to know what she experienced as a teen prostitute. She said she is not ashamed and hopes her story will raise awareness of the issue. Desiree thought a life on the streets would be better than living at home with her mother, who spent a decade addicted to crystal meth.
Desiree said she also felt comfortable around older men because when she was 12 her father forced her to touch his penis. He was later sent to prison for that — convicted of lewd acts with a child — and other charges. Experts say Desiree fits the profile of underage girls who end up turning tricks — many of them have run away from unhappy home lives.
They looked for men who were willing to pay for sex or take them joyriding around town. Desiree also got caught with Ecstasy pills in her purse. She said the police told her the man had a machete in his car and could have killed her. After that incident, Desiree decided she would be better off working for a year-old pimp she met through her friends.
