WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Two men are behind bars in Palm Beach County, accused of trafficking underage girls and exploiting them as prostitutes. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) detectives, the three girls involved had run away from a group home before being exploited and forced into prostitution. They were meeting clients at three local motels.
Jaime Figueroa, 34, from Boynton Beach, appeared before a judge on Tuesday morning, facing charges of human trafficking related to commercial sex activities involving minors. Figueroa, along with two other men—Raymond Jean, 45, and Antonio Michel, 35—allegedly provided the girls with drugs, including marijuana and crack cocaine, while profiting from their exploitation.
Becky Dymond, founder and executive director of Lighthouse Palm Beach County, an organization helping victims of sex trafficking, expressed her sadness over the case, noting, “In the United States, the average age of entry into sex trafficking for a woman is 13, and it’s trending younger.” Dymond emphasized that fear often drives young victims to remain in such situations. “The girls are doing it out of fear. Where else can they go? What other options do they have?”
According to the arrest report, Michel rented rooms at three motels—the Stay Inn in Boynton Beach, Tiki Hut, and Barefoot Mailman in Lantana—where the girls were forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for money and food. Figueroa, in addition to engaging in sex with the girls, also benefited from the proceeds of their prostitution.
CBS12 News spoke with staff members at the motels listed in the arrest report. When asked about prostitution taking place at The Stay Inn, an employee denied any knowledge, stating, “They are not coming.” Similarly, the owner of the Tiki Hut Motel, when shown a copy of the arrest report, denied involvement but indicated she would no longer rent rooms to those involved in such activities.
Dymond stressed the need for more education in schools to combat sex trafficking, stating that both boys and girls need to be taught about the harm caused by prostitution and exploitation.
