Three arrested for promoting prostitution after undercover operation

SMITH COUNTY – According to our news partner KETK, three people were recently arrested in connection to an East Texas undercover prostitution victim recovery operation. Documents obtained by KETK show that a special agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigative Division in Tyler is part of an ongoing multi-agency operation tasked with identifying and recovering victims of human trafficking.

The special agent reported in an arrest affidavit that an undercover officer solicited a prostitute through an online advertisement containing a phone number. As a part of the ongoing operation, a meeting was set up for an hour of sexual services, records show. An unreported hotel address and room number were sent and when the suspected prostitute showed up they were met by law enforcement and taken to a Texas DPS office to be questioned, according to an arrest affidavit.

A message asking about why the suspected prostitute wasn’t answering their phone was then received by the undercover officer and an arrest document described how a nearby surveillance team noticed the driver of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix talking to a bystander.

The surveillance team did a traffic stop on the vehicle because the driver was allegedly not wearing a seat belt. The driver, who officials identified as Tyirese Ladale Dews, then attempted to smash their phone, an affidavit for Dews’ arrest alleged.

Dews was then arrested and charged with promoting prostitution on March 6. Dew’s arrest affidavit described how the undercover officer texted the number they were communicating with and the now smashed phone started displaying alerts.

Another similar meeting was set up on that same day, March 6, but this time it was at an undisclosed location in Tyler, a document obtained by KETK showed. The special agent reported that a suspected prostitute from an online advertisement was brought to the Tyler location in a red passenger car.

They entered the prearranged location and then met law enforcement before being taken to a Texas DPS office to be questioned. Officials then said a surveillance team followed the red passenger car along Loop 323 before the vehicle was pulled over by law enforcement.

Two adults where in the red passenger car along with a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old child, according to an arrest affidavit.

The two adults were identified as Tisha Lee Nations and Damian Centorian Borens. Arrest records show that they were both arrested and charged with promotion of prostitution.

An arrest affidavit for Nations and Borens described Nations admitting she created an online advertisement for prostitution while Borens would tell the suspected prostitute what to text the so-called “Johns” soliciting prostitution.

The special agent said they believe Nations and Borens coerced the suspected prostitute into prostitution so they could pay to be driven to see their child.

Dews, Nations and Borens are all currently being held in the Smith County Jail for promotion of prostitution.