By Julie Manganis
DANVERS — A grand jury has indicted both a woman and her teenage son on charges they tried to lure a 13-year-old runaway into prostitution at a Danvers motel in June.
Maria Trinidad, 33, and her son, Fernando Martins, 17, were both indicted Wednesday on charges of attempting to induce a minor into prostitution, and Trinidad is also facing a charge of attempting to derive support from child prostitution.
Prosecutors say that in June, Martins met the girl, a 13-year-old runaway from Cambridge, and told her his mother, Trinidad, worked as a prostitute. He suggested that the girl could also earn money by working for his mother.
The girl said she was not interested. Martins then invited her to a party at the Motel 6, where Trinidad lived on a housing voucher provided by the Department of Transitional Assistance.
Martins then left the girl at the motel, she told police.
Over the next day and a half, Trinidad attempted to sell the girl as a prostitute, prosecutors allege.
One potential customer was concerned when he realized how young she was and came up with a plan to help her escape by pretending that he wanted to hire her.
Prosecutors say the man paid Trinidad and she told the girl to go with him.
The man and his friends then left the motel with the girl, who was then taken to a hospital, where police were contacted.
The indictments came just days after a Salem District Court judge threatened to release Trinidad without bail over delays in the case.
Prosecutors said they were close to obtaining an indictment and persuaded the judge to grant them one further continuance.
Prosecutors feared Trinidad would simply disappear if released.
She remains in custody at MCI Framingham on $15,000 bail.
Martins, meanwhile, is being held in custody in an unrelated case in Middlesex County. He was not previously charged in the case.
The two are expected to be arraigned in Salem Superior Court within the next two weeks.
