A California man charged with kidnapping a Utah woman and forcing her to work as a prostitute for more than a month until she escaped had his initial appearance in federal court Thursday.
Brandon L. Walton was indicted Wednesday on charges of kidnapping, transportation for illegal sexual activity and sex trafficking following an incident in which he allegedly kidnapped and detained a woman and forced her to work as a prostitute from March to May, tazing and beating her whenever she disobeyed him or tried to leave.
The indictment follows a June FBI affidavit recounting the woman's time in captivity. In the affidavit, the woman states Walton kidnapped her at knifepoint in March and took her to a Super 8 Motel near 10600 South. The woman, identified as Victim A, said that though Walton talked about making money, she didn't know what he meant until the next day when she met two other women who were getting "dressed up" in "skimpy clothes." Victim A said they looked like prostitutes.
Victim A said she then realized that Walton wanted her to work as a prostitute and he instructed the other girls to post an ad for Victim A on Craigslist. He then told her what he expected her to do, at which point Victim A said she didn't want to work as a prostitute. Walton responded that "it did not matter because he needed money."
Victim A said she was unable to escape because even when she went on her "dates" one of the other girls was in either a closet or bathroom. Walton was in an adjacent room where he would collect the women's profits following the dates or sexual encounters.
After two or three days, Walton told Victim A that they were going to California. He allegedly sexually assaulted the woman twice during this trip, telling her not to "make Daddy mad" when she tried to refuse. Victim A said she was also forced to perform sex acts on this trip, making thousands of dollars that she turned over to Walton.
While in California, the victim was introduced to Walton's mother, sister and son and was forced to get a tattoo of a playboy bunny with the word "Pimpin B" underneath. Not long after the two returned to the Super 8 Motel in Sandy, one of the girls was arrested in a prostitution sting orchestrated by Sandy police. That night, Walton posted bail for the woman and all three women and Walton left the state for New Mexico.
Though Walton returned to California for prison time at one point, he continued to run the prostitution business in New Mexico from jail. The group picked up another girl, who wanted to work as a prostitute so that she could leave Albuquerque, and returned to Utah. Victim A was finally able to escape when one of Walton's two veteran girls was outside the hotel and one was in the shower. Victim A told the newest girl she was going pay the room bill and made her getaway.
Walton entered a not guilty plea to the charges before Judge Magistrate Paul Warner Thursday and a five-day jury trial has been set for Nov. 30 at 8:30 a.m.
e-mail: emorgan@desnews.com