Texas couple accused of trafficking teen

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FORT WORTH, Texas, March 7 (UPI) -- A Fort Worth, Texas, couple are facing charges for allegedly prostituting a 15-year-old girl, police said.

Deundrea R. Miller, 27, and Brittanie S. Brattain, 21, of Saginaw, allegedly recruited the teen, called "Jewel" in a federal criminal complaint against them, and forced her into prostitution from September until January, when the teen ran away, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported.

The suspects allegedly met Jewel in September, took suggestive pictures of her and placed advertisements for sex with her on Backpage.com, the criminal complaint states.

Jewel was then forced to have sex with men in hotel rooms and at several residences, the complaint states. Men paid $120 for 30 minutes with the teen and $160 for 60 minutes.

The victim ran away from the couple in January. She told officials about Miller and Brattain when she was later detained by Tarrant County juvenile authorities.

Miller and Brattain, who were already in police custody for other charges, were each charged Tuesday with a federal count of sex trafficking of a child.

They remained in jail Wednesday. If convicted of the charges against them, they each face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.