LAKE OSWEGO, OREGON:
A former cheerleader at Lake Oswego High School is accused of recruiting an underage former classmate into prostitution to work for her alleged pimp, according to court documents.
Konrod Mason and Julia Haner were arraigned on federal indictments Monday afternoon. They are both charged with sex trafficking of a minor and transportation of a minor for prostitution.
The Portland Police Bureau's Prostitution Coordination Team conducted a sting operation on March 11 to contact an underage girl featured in online prostitution advertisements.
Court documents state an undercover officer set up a "date" with the girl and took her into custody when she entered the hotel room.
According to court documents, the 17-year-old girl was recruited by Haner, a 19-year-old former student at Lake Oswego High School. Investigators said Haner used to ride the bus to school with the girl.
After leaving Lake Oswego High School, Haner began working in strip clubs and eventually became a prostitute for her pimp, according to court documents. The alleged pimp is identified as Mason, 30.
A U.S. District Court memorandum says Haner reached out to the girl with messages on Facebook, persuading her to "make money" with them.
The 17-year-old girl was first picked up by Haner and Mason on Feb. 28 at a Lake Oswego gas station, according to court documents, so the girl's family wouldn't know about it.
The girl was taken to Motel 6 in Vancouver. Court documents state she was photographed, her photos were placed in ads on an internet prostitution site and she went on to be prostituted at hotels in Portland and Eugene.
After the girl was taken into police custody last month, she was returned to her family.
Court documents state Haner was tasked with recruiting new girls for Mason, "And as a local girl she has a vast network and apparently knows how to recruit her most vulnerable friends."
Mason and Haner were initially contacted by the FBI at a hotel near Portland International Airport on March 26. They initially answered questions before requesting to speak to an attorney, ending the interview.
They were contacted again at a Beaverton hotel April 5. Court documents state they had already recruited a new 20-year-old woman to work with them who Haner knew through cheerleading.
Investigators said the woman had not yet agreed to work for Mason as a prostitute, but she did report that he put his arms around her neck on more than one occasion.
Mason's criminal history includes convictions for strangulation and fourth-degree assault in Multnomah County and Clackamas County in 2009. He also has convictions for DUII and robbery, as well as various arrests on charges including strangling a minor female, contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor, tampering with a witness and felony attempt to elude police.
Mason and Haner pleaded not guilty to the new charges against them in court Tuesday. They were both ordered to remain in jail until detention hearings later this week.
A trial is currently scheduled for both of them in June.
The Lake Oswego School District sent a message home to parents about the situation, saying Haner went to Lake Oswego High School during the 2011-2012 school year and attended one class a day in 2012-2013.
The district said she was a cheerleader for the school in 2011-2012 and also participated on a competitive cheer team outside of school.
Administrators said the 17-year-old girl in the case is not a current Lake Oswego High School student.
"We expect that this incident will receive considerable media attention. As we continue to look into the circumstances surrounding this indictment, we will keep you informed of any additional information we learn that is important and relevant to the safety of our students," the district's message states.
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