IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- Police say an Iowa City man forced a teenager to have sex with men for money up to four times a day.
Arrion West, Jr., 23 of Iowa City, faces various charges including human trafficking of a person under 18, pimping, domestic abuse assault, false imprisonment and pandering for prostitution.
Police found West and a 17-year-old girl in a room at the Travel Lodge at 2216 North Dodge Street in Iowa City on Friday morning after responding to a call of a woman being held against her will. Police say West and the teen got into a fight and he choked her and slapped her face because she wanted to leave between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Police say she had visible facial injuries -- a cut to the lip, scratches on her neck and redness on her left cheek. She also said they had been at the Travel Lodge for a couple of days.
Police found a marijuana pipe in the room which the victim said West gave to her to smoke.
According to a criminal complaint, West convinced the victim to be a prostitute over social media. Police say he's been trafficking her since late January. Her first sex act for money was in Cedar Rapids. The victim says she earned $125 and had to give all of the money to West. The victim says since that first day, she had sex every day, with some days including three to four times.
The victim admitted West was her pimp and told police she was scared of him. She also said they often stayed in hotel rooms and West advertised sex for money on Backpage.com. She said West was also trafficking other women.