California pair arrested in Utah after missing Nevada girl is found in their vehicle
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Pat Reavy, KSL.com
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KSL.com) — Two California residents are facing criminal charges after they were arrested in southern Utah over the weekend with a missing Nevada teenager in their vehicle, police say.
John Anthony Hampton, 41, of Long Beach, California, and Barbara Grace Singleton, 26, of Los Angeles, were each charged Tuesday in 5th District Court with aggravated exploitation of prostitution involving a child, a first-degree felony, and other charges.
About 11:15 a.m. Saturday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a vehicle for minor traffic violations. Troopers searched the vehicle after detecting the odor of marijuana coming from the car, according to a police booking affidavit.
In addition to finding a small bag of marijuana, troopers also found in the vehicle “clothes resembling that of a prostitute with high stiletto heels, lingerie and other items,” the affidavit state.
Troopers then discovered that the girl in the back seat had been reported as missing out of Nevada.
“In the passenger compartment, there was gold brass knuckles located. The driver is a convicted felon in possession of a dangerous weapon. During the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, there were messages between Hampton and the front passenger, Singleton … discussing how they need to work with the juvenile to make sure she is turning tricks and turning over money to an individual. Hampton had messages on his phone between him and the juvenile about how much money can be made,” the affidavit alleges. “Singleton advised they were going to ‘turn tricks.'”
In addition to aggravated exploitation of prostitution involving a child, Hampton and Singleton were also charged Tuesday with two counts of drug possession, a class A misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana possession, class B misdemeanors. Hampton was additionally charged with exploitation of prostitution and being a restricted person in possession of a weapon, third-degree felonies.