'Quit barking yo gums:' Witnesses threatened in Fort Worth child sex trafficking case

Two men with ties to suspects in a Fort Worth child sex-trafficking ring are accused of threatening a victim and witness in the case, warning them in text messages to "quit barking yo gums" and "we will have you and family knocked off," according to federal court documents.

Bruce Trenshel Davis, "Wheatie," 25, of Shreveport, and Brandon Ray Austin, "Pep," 31, of Fort Worth, made their initial appearances in Fort Worth federal court this week, the U.S. attorney's office said Thursday.

They each have been charged with one count of attempting to obstruct or interfere with enforcement and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

Davis is a relative of Demarcus Davis and Kentrell Davis, two of eight men arrested last month in the sex-trafficking ring, which involved seven girls and women ages 16 to 36, according to court documents.

Austin is friends with Pierre Lagrone, Herman Sanders and Reginald Smith, three other men arrested in the sex-trafficking case, authorities said.

The trafficking ring existed from February 2016 until last month, and the suspects are accused of running it in Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Grand Prairie, Killeen and Arlington, according to court documents.

They acted as pimps for the victims, charged $100 for a half-hour of sex and used threats, violence, sexual assault and intimidation to control the victims, the documents said.

While authorities were investigating the case in July, Bruce Davis sent threatening text messages to one of the victims, a 17-year-old female, warning that he would harm her and her family, including her one-year-old daughter, if she continued to cooperate with law enforcement, according to a criminal complaint.

"Quit barking yo gums lil hoe, don't run b----, we get it in blood hoe, I'll touch your ppl if I can't get to you," Davis said in one text message, which was included in the complaint.

"Everybody know what you look like hoe," another text said.

The victim responded with smiley-face emojis to one of the threatening texts.

Davis replied, "I know you love that lil girl a lot huh," an apparent reference to the victim's daughter, the complaint said.

Steve Jumes, Davis' attorney, said in a statement Thursday that "one of our primary inquiries will be to examine the origin of the text messages" in the case. He declined to comment further.

In another incident, Austin, known as "Pep," threatened a witness to the sex-trafficking ring, the complaint said.

"My n---- you have done the most now," Austin said in a text to the witness. "Melissa told me you talking to the laws today. My n---- if you say anything else concerning my boys we will have you and family knocked off real s---. You are the one that's been giving info on everyone. B---- just watch your back as of today. You don't know who we have watching you tattling a-- b----."

The message ended with seven gun emojis.

Austin followed up with another text to the witness, the complaint said.

"B---- you can't hide from us," the message said. "Regardless b---- we will get you. I know you heard us knocking on your door. I know where you be at. Snitching a-- hoe. I have ppl looking at you."

Austin's attorney, Harmony Schuerman, did not respond to a request for comment.

Ryan Osborne: 817-390-7684; Twitter: @RyanOsborneFWST

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 1:32 PM with the headline "'Quit barking yo gums:' Witnesses threatened in Fort Worth child sex trafficking case."