Teontrae Cowan and Tentraveon Cowan, both 23, were arrested on child sex trafficking and prostitution-related charges in Arizona
Credit: Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- Arizona twins Teontrae Cowan and Tentraveon Cowan were arrested on child sex trafficking and prostitution-related charges during an underage prostitution sting at a dog park
- The brothers, both 23, allegedly tried to recruit a girl who they believed was 17 years old into prostitution
- The brothers allegedly told the girl they would provide all of her basic necessities and keep all of her earnings
Twin brothers are facing multiple felony charges after police said the siblings tried to recruit a person they believed was a 17-year-old girl into prostitution.
Teontrae Cowan and Tentraveon Cowan, both 23, were arrested on Thursday, Sept. 24, in Goodyear, Ariz., and face multiple charges, according Maricopa County court documents obtained by local outlets FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family.
A spokesperson for the City of Goodyear confirmed to PEOPLE that the twins “were booked into the Maricopa County Jail on charges of child sex trafficking, receiving earnings of prostitution, inducing a person to engage in prostitution, and enticing a person for prostitution.”
The brothers allegedly messaged the undercover Instagram account — which they believed belonged to a 17-year-old girl who was already engaging in prostitution — on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and the next day.
The brothers told the account she would be treated like “royalty” if she followed their instructions and allegedly demanded a $2,000 upfront fee through Cash App, according to court documents, per both FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family.
The brothers also allegedly told her she would be expected to bring in $1,500 per night, according to both outlets.
The brothers also allegedly said they would take her to California and Las Vegas for a “sugar daddy event” and cover all her necessities including food, clothing and shelter. They also told her she would not be permitted to keep any of the money she earned, per the court documents obtained by the outlets.
The brothers later arranged to meet the person near the dog area at Goodyear Community Park, per the outlets.
Credit: Google
Investigators said surveillance units watched the men leave a home in Avondale in a silver Dodge Charger before arriving at the agreed-upon location at the dog park, where they were arrested without incident, according to FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family.
Following his arrest, Teontrae allegedly admitted to investigators that the pair had messaged the account and that they planned to keep her earnings while helping her “get a better life.”
Teontrae allegedly also told investigators the brothers had previously been involved in a similar arrangement with another girl in California, per the outlets.
Teontrae additionally told investigators that he earned money by livestreaming on TikTok and could make as much as $5,000 per month, while Tentraveon did not make a statement to investigators, per FOX 10 Phoenix and AZ Family.
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Both brothers were booked into the Maricopa County jail and a judge set their individual bond at $25,000 cash-only, as well as ordered that they have no contact with minors or access to the internet if released, per FOX 10.
Teontrae and Tentraveon are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 5.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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