Federal authorities arrested a man and woman from Ohio Wednesday and charged them with transporting seven women to West Virginia to peddle them as underage prostitutes.

William L. Green, 65, and Bridgette Baugh, 34, both of Columbus, were taken into custody by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in the Ramada Limited hotel in Huntington, according to an affidavit attached to the arrest warrant.

The seven women were between the ages of 18 and 35 with most in their early 20s, but they were told to act like they were 14 or 15 because the men they were meeting were expecting young girls, wrote FBI Special Agent Kristin Cadieux.

At a meeting in August at Green's residence, a cooperative witness and an undercover officer with the Columbus Police Department asked Green and Baugh about providing them with underage girls in West Virginia for sexual purposes, the affidavit states.

"When Green was asked how many girls could he furnish, as well as how young will they be, Green responded to [them], he could get between 10 and 15 underage girls with the youngest being 6 years of age," Cadieux wrote.

During the meeting, a young girl - who appeared to be 15 or 16 years old - hugged the cooperative witness, according to the affidavit. During the hug, the girl said to him, "Please get me out of here."

In conversations with the girl's mother, the cooperative witness learned that the mother began working for Green as a prostitute at the age of 14, and has been working for him ever since, the affidavit states. The mother is reportedly a drug addict, and "gave" her daughter to Green about two years ago as payment for drugs, the affidavit alleges.

One of Green's neighbors told investigators that Green sometimes locked underage girls in his residence, using a key that they did not have, the affidavit states.

Federal authorities arrested a man and woman from Ohio Wednesday and charged them with transporting seven women to West Virginia to peddle them as underage prostitutes.

William L. Green, 65, and Bridgette Baugh, 34, both of Columbus, were taken into custody by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in the Ramada Limited hotel in Huntington, according to an affidavit attached to the arrest warrant.

The seven women were between the ages of 18 and 35 with most in their early 20s, but they were told to act like they were 14 or 15 because the men they were meeting were expecting young girls, wrote FBI Special Agent Kristin Cadieux.

At a meeting in August at Green's residence, a cooperative witness and an undercover officer with the Columbus Police Department asked Green and Baugh about providing them with underage girls in West Virginia for sexual purposes, the affidavit states.

"When Green was asked how many girls could he furnish, as well as how young will they be, Green responded to [them], he could get between 10 and 15 underage girls with the youngest being 6 years of age," Cadieux wrote.

During the meeting, a young girl - who appeared to be 15 or 16 years old - hugged the cooperative witness, according to the affidavit. During the hug, the girl said to him, "Please get me out of here."

In conversations with the girl's mother, the cooperative witness learned that the mother began working for Green as a prostitute at the age of 14, and has been working for him ever since, the affidavit states. The mother is reportedly a drug addict, and "gave" her daughter to Green about two years ago as payment for drugs, the affidavit alleges.

One of Green's neighbors told investigators that Green sometimes locked underage girls in his residence, using a key that they did not have, the affidavit states.

The arrangements for the "party" in West Virginia were finalized during three more meetings with Green and Baugh in late August, according to the affidavit. The initial cost was set at $100 per girl, plus $100 each for Baugh and Green, and the men were expected to pay additional money for sexual acts, the affidavit states.

Once everyone arrived at the hotel room, the undercover officer gave Baugh $200 to have sex with one of the girls, according to the affidavit. Green and Baugh were immediately arrested.

"All of the females [brought by Green and Baugh] stated they believed they were going to be paid to do striptease dances for men at the hotel," Cadieux wrote. "Several of the females stated they believed that further sexual acts would occur if the males paid an additional fee."

Both Green and Baugh are scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 9 in federal court in Huntington. The arrest warrants were issued by a U.S. magistrate judge in the Southern District of Ohio, which is where Green and Baugh will likely be prosecuted.

Reach Andrew Clevenger

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