Couple accused of running sex trafficking ring out of Utah home

OGDEN, Utah — Terrance Jones and Lynnsie Reddish are accused of running a prostitution ring together out of an Ogden home.

Both are now booked into the Weber County Jail, and charging documents give us a glimpse into the horrific things their victims say happened to them.

“In these cases force, fraud and coercion are the elements of controlling an individual, in manipulating an individual to engage in this activity,” said Gregory Ferbrasche, Director for the Justice Division of the Attorney General’s Office.

That’s how special agents with the Attorney General’s Office believe 21-year-old Lynnsie Reddish and 31-year-old Terrance Jones conducted a commercial sex ring out of their home.

Charging documents paint a picture of what victims endured while in the Ogden home, with accounts from four women and several witnesses.

“It is tragic and it is terrible,” Ferbrasche said.

One victim was at the home for nearly two years. She told investigators “Reddish and Jones assaulted her and held her against her will.”

In January she tried to escape but, “the defendants began hitting the victim with their fists. Jones poked the victim in the eye and would then punch her face every few minutes.”

Then, “Reddish got scissors and cut off her hair.”

One victim said she witnessed that beating. The Attorney General’s Office says that’s common behavior they see in prostitution rings, and this isn’t a unique case.

“The more we investigate, the more reports we receive, the more we find it’s happening in our community,” Ferbrasche said.

Witnesses also reported the defendants would beat up some of the girls to keep others in line.

One victim said she felt she had to have sexual intercourse with the clients or “something bad would happen” to her

Court documents say Jones also had firearms in the house and would talk about how he is, “not afraid to use them.”

“A lot of time that force, fraud, and coercion are why the victim may not come forward and alert the authorities, because they don’t believe they can,” Ferbrasche said.

Jones and Reddish are each charged with four counts of human trafficking for forced sexual exploitation, four counts of aggravated exploitation of prostitution, aggravated kidnapping, and several other charges.

The Attorney General’s Office says it’s important for Utahns to realize prostitution and sex trafficking are problems we face at home.

“We are conducting more investigations, and, as this case demonstrates, we are conducting more prosecutions,” Ferbrasche said.

This is an ongoing investigation and there may be more victims.

Jones’ initial appearance is set for Monday. As for Reddish, she is due in court for a preliminary hearing May 23.

This article was originally published by fellow CNN affiliate KSTU. It is used here with permission.