Grand jury declines to indict 73-year-old man in Fort Worth prostitution case
A Tarrant County grand jury has declined to indict a 73-year-old Fort Worth man who was accused of beating a woman if she didn’t bring him money as a prostitute.
The grand jurors reached their decision on Charles Miller on April 27, and declined to indict him on the charge of compelling prostitution by force.
Miller could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Stephanie Byrd, the executive director of Unbound Fort Worth, said they would not comment on this particular case. The organization works with schools, youth organizations, and shelters to empower youth to stay safe from trafficking and exploitation.
“Generally speaking, human trafficking cases can be complicated and are often difficult to investigate and prosecute,” Byrd said in a Thursday email. “Regardless of the outcome in the criminal justice system, services remain available to all victims.”
Prosecutors could not be reached Thursday for comment.
Miller was arrested in March after a three-month investigation.
Officers were dispatched to a human trafficking call on Dec. 18 at an east Fort Worth home.
A 45-year-old woman was the reported victim in the case, according to a police call log.
Human trafficking detectives investigated the case.
A warrant written by Fort Worth Detective A. Matthews provided this account:
In a December interview, the woman told Matthews she had met Miller, who goes by the name “Cat,” five to seven years ago.
Initially, Miller provided rides to the woman, and she moved in with him when he eventually got an apartment, she said.
The woman told police Miller started controlling and harassing her, and demanding for her to help pay the rent. At times, he locked her out of the apartment, she said.
She told police that Miller wanted at least $100 per week and that he told her she had to do whatever she needed in order to make the money. He mentioned that women walked along Tierney to prostitute themselves, she said.
The woman accused Miller of threatening to hurt or kill her if she didn’t bring him any money, according to the warrant.
The woman told the detective she stayed with Miller because he was holding important documents from her which she needed to move.
This report contains information from Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives.
