Nine accused of sex trafficking at center

Nine employees at a Bastrop County facility that cares for young victims of sex trafficking have been accused of trafficking those same girls, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

One employee of the state-contracted Refuge Ranch has been arrested on an undisclosed charge and more arrests are anticipated, according to Tara Olah, a director with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

The facility employed more than three dozen employees to provide 24/7 care for the girls. Olah said DFPS received multiple phone calls in January to the statewide intake hotline that “alleged sexual and physical abuse, sexual exploitation, neglectful supervision and medical neglect” at Refuge Ranch, according to the Statesman.