Houston man accused of selling 14-year-old runaway for sex

Deputies trained to detect human trafficking recovered a 14-year-old runaway being sold for sex in a motel, according to Constable Mark Herman with Harris County Precinct 4.

On Thursday, the girl was at the Super 8 Motel in the 16000 block of the North Freeway. Herman says his deputies went there to respond to a unrelated medical call.

“While we were out on that call, there were somethings that were said to our deputies that alerted them to some suspicious activity going on in one of the rooms,” Herman told reporters.

Herman says his deputies found Allen Auston, 29, in a room with a 26-year-old woman, her 2-year-old child, and the 14-year-old runaway. The girl had been missing since early February from a town about 100 miles from Houston.

“You could tell she had been groomed to give another name and say certain things,” Herman added.

Auston is in the Harris County Jail without bond on three, first-degree felony charges relating to trafficking and prostitution of a minor.

“This guy was locked up where he needs to be where he can’t victimize more folks,” Herman concluded.

The girl was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital. Herman says they’re still looking into the role of the 26-year-old woman. He adds more charges could be filed and not only on Auston. 

Herman believes there are more victims of Austons out there. 

The Governor's Sex Trafficking Team has developed local Care Coordination Teams to help support victims of human trafficking on their journey to healing.