Woman charged with pimping teen recruited at Occupy NH rally
By PAT GROSSMITH
New Hampshire Union Leader
Published Oct 28, 2011 at 10:15 am (Updated Oct 28, 2011) ShareThishttp://www.unionleader.com/article/20111028/NEWS03/710289961 • JUSTINA JENSEN
MANCHESTER - A city woman is accused of pimping a 16-year-old girl she met in Victory Park during the Occupy NH demonstrations.
Justina Jensen, 23, of 341 Hanover St., is charged with felony prostitution. Police allege Jensen met a teen at the local protest, which is an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street, and used the Internet to arrange a first liaison for the girl with a man who turned out to be an undercover police officer.
Police said the teen's mother called them Thursday about noon to say her daughter was missing and that her photograph had been posted on a website advertising adult party entertainment.
Court documents show the mother told police she and a friend had used the website to negotiate a deal for the friend to pay for sex with the teen.
Investigators looked at the website and found the girl's photo posted there, along with pictures of three other women, in an advertisement offering men to “come and have fun with four beautiful ladies” in Manchester.
Police said a woman who called herself “Remy” negotiated a telephone deal for “Mad Mike” to pay $150 to have sex with the teen called "Jewel."
An undercover officer, identifying himself as “Mad Mike,” called “Remy” to find out where to go and she gave him her 341 Hanover St. address.
When he arrived at the address and Jensen confirmed she was “Remy,” the officer identified himself as a police officer and told Jensen she was under arrest. Police said Jensen attempted to reenter the building to escape, but the officer was able to stop her and, after some resistance, handcuff her.
The missing teen was found inside Jensen's third-floor apartment. Court documents show the teenage girl told police that Jensen had taken her photo and posted it on the website and said Jensen was going to start training her to be a prostitute, with her first customer scheduled to be “Mad Mike.”
Police said Jensen was using her residence to facilitate prostitution involving an individual under the age of 18, so she is charged with felony prostitution. She was also charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest.
In Circuit Court-Manchester District Division Friday, Jensen repeatedly dozed off while waiting to be arraigned.
Jensen could enter no plea to the felony in Circuit Court, so a probable cause hearing was set for Nov. 10, when there will be a status hearing on the misdemeanor resisting arrest charge.
Police prosecutor Capt. Robert Cunha asked Judge Gregory Michael to set bail of $10,000 cash/surety for Jensen, with bail conditions that include no contact with the minor girl and a waiver of extradition.
Cunha said that in addition to concern for public safety, there is concern about two suicide attempts made by Jensen following her arrest.
He said she attempted to strangle herself with her shoelaces when she was left alone briefly in an interview room at the police department and, after she was taken to the Elliot Hospital, attempted to strangle herself with the ties of the hospital jonny. Cunha said Jensen struggled so violently at the hospital that she had to be sedated.
Cunha also said Jensen's ties to the city are not strong. He said she was convicted of a similar charge earlier this year in New York.
