Man arrested after victim called human trafficking task force
A man suspected of sex trafficking was arrested after one of his victims called the Arizona Human Trafficking Task Force for help.
Marques Watson, 29, was arrested March 11 and charged with sex trafficking and four counts of domestic battery by strangulation, according to court records.
Las Vegas police were contacted by the Arizona Human Trafficking Task Force in December after the woman called asking for help getting away from Watson, according to an arrest report from the Metropolitan Police Department released Thursday.
The woman told Las Vegas police that she had been dating Watson since 2018 and he had forced her to become a sex worker that same year. The arrest report detailed several times the woman said she was beaten for not making enough money.
Most recently, on Dec. 15, the woman told police that Watson slapped, pushed and choked her multiple times for not making enough money and becoming too intoxicated while working. Later that night police said she called Arizona authorities for help.
The woman showed Las Vegas police her Cash App transactions where people would pay her and she would transfer the money to Watson, according to the arrest report.
Detectives said Watson had multiple prior charges in California for human trafficking, pimping and deprivation of personal liberty. It was unclear if he had been convicted of any crimes.
A warrant was issued for Watson’s arrest on Dec. 16, and he is being held on $100,000 bail. He is expected to appear in court again March 28.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
