Man Accused of Forcing Idaho Teen into Prostitution

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A man accused of forcing an Idaho teenager and other women into prostitution is now facing federal sex trafficking charges.

The Idaho Statesman reports Taquarius Ford recruited the 18-year-old at a Boise-area shopping mall by posing as a modeling executive. According to court documents, he flew the woman to Los Angeles and took her to a party at the Playboy mansion.  Afterward, Ford coerced her into working as a prostitute, raping her and threatening to harm her family when she refused, prosecutors say.

The teenager was eventually rescued in Portland, and Ford was arrested in February. He is accused of trafficking at least two other women between Sept. 2011 and June 2012, including another woman from Idaho. A judge ordered Ford to be held without bond until his trial.