North County Man Coerced Underage Girls Into Prostitution, Police Say

A North County man is accused of using 16-, 17- and 18-year-old girls as prostitutes.

Anton Morris, 39, of the 11600 block of Fox Hall Lane in North County east of Black Jack, was charged Sunday with two counts of sexual trafficking of a child and one count of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

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St. Louis County Police said on April 15 Morris placed a 16-year-old girl in a hotel room and advertised on the Internet that she would have sex with men for money. Police said he used the 16-year-old girl on Thursday to persuade a 19-year-old girl to join them in prostitution.

Morris promised the 19-year-old money or a condominium in exchange for having sex with those who responded to his ads, according to a court document, police said. Police said Morris did receive money when the first two girls had sex with men in exchange for cash.

On Friday, he coerced the 19-year-old girl to persuade a 17-year-old girl into taking part in prostitution.

Morris is being held in the St. Louis County Justice Center. Bail was set at $100,000, cash only.

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