Two more suspected 'hot sheet' motels are being investigated by Houston Police this week. The Lockwood Motel and the Deluxe Motel, both located on Greg Street, are the latest properties to be added to the surveillance list. This investigation comes on the heels of the closing down of another suspected 'hot sheet' motel by the Houston Police just last week. The El Rondo Motel, located on Livingston Street in the Sunnyside Community, was closed after authorities found evidence that the property owners were renting rooms at the property at hourly rates to accommodate the city's prevalent prostitution industry.
These investigations are the culmination of years of complaints from nearby residents and property owners who say prostitution and drug activity are out of control in the area surrounding these properties. The El Rondo Motel had been a known prostitution lair for several years before police decided to take action.
Prostitution has been a serious problem in the city for decades. Houston is a known hub for human trafficking and is listed by the FBI as the largest child trafficking hub in the country. The smugglers, referred to as ‘coyotes’ in the Spanish speaking sector of the human trafficking trade, lure young girls and women to the US with promises of jobs as nannies and housekeepers. Once they arrive, beholden to their smugglers, the girls are forced into prostitution to pay of their smuggling debts. There has been an explosion of underage prostitution in Houston in recent years due to the prevalence of online advertising sites such as Craigslist. Last month, three teenaged girls were rescued by authorities from nearby motels and strip clubs due to ads that had been placed on Craigslist by their pimps.
Police anticipate more properties will be added to the investigation in the coming weeks.
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