Lee County couple plead guilty in forced prostitution case

By news-press.com

A Lee County couple charged with forcing women into prostitution have pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of forcing someone into labor.

Naomi Vasquez pleaded guilty to the charge today, while her husband, Derrick Ned, pleaded guilty to the charge July 1. Both face up to 20 years in prison.

According to their plea agreements, Lee County Sheriff's detectives were conducting a prostitution sting on Jan. 13 in Bonita Springs, when they met women aged 25 and 27.

The documents state that when the 27-year-old was questioned by detectives, she said she was addicted to several illegal drugs and Ned provided her drugs for free after he hired her to work for the escort service he and his wife operated.

Ned told her she would have to prostitute herself to repay money for the drugs he provided and she wasn't able to keep any of the money she earned for having sex about six times a day.

The 25-year-old told detectives the same thing happened to her and both feared leaving Ned and Vasquez.

Six days later on Jan. 19, detectives initiated another undercover prostitution operation and found a 20-year-old girl who also said Ned and Vasquez forced her into prostitution.

Ned is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 4, while the sentencing for Vasquez hasn't been set.