Tampa Bay woman who was sold for sex by her own mother calls for accountability
Tampa Bay woman who was sold for sex by her own mother calls for accountability
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Eight years following an undercover sting, a Tampa Bay woman is coming forward to share her story for the first time, revealing her full identity.
As a teen, she was sold for sex by her own mother.
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“Something like this, it ruins you,” said Isabelle Hughes, human trafficking survivor. “It destroys your life. To come back up from it is so incredibly hard.”
As a survivor, Isabelle continued her fight to hold her abusers accountable and to inspire other human trafficking victims to come forward.
Polk Sheriff says 10 human trafficking victims identified in week-long investigation
Isabelle grew up in St. Petersburg. At the age of 16, she and her mom, Kristina Hughes, moved to Brooksville where she said she was groomed as a young girl by Hughes, which led to her to be sex trafficked.
On May 19, 2017, Isabelle was rescued from her Brooksville home.
“I spent so long so much of my time and so many years, wanting to kill myself because of it. because of having to remember what these men and what my mom did to me,” Isabelle said.
After a two-year investigation stemming from an anonymous tip, Hughes and nine men ranging from 19 to 75 were arrested on human trafficking charges.
“Cases like these, as a mother, astound me, ,” said Sen. Ashley Moody, former Florida attorney general. “They are horrifying. They are tragic.”
At the age of 25, the memories still haunt her. Isabelle is sharing her story for the first time.
“There was a day where she had told me to get dressed in a black dress, and she took photos of me,” said Isabelle.
Hughes took photos of Isabelle when she was only 16, mostly in underwear.
“She posted an ad on Backpage where she would then correspond with men to meet at that house,” she said.
Investigators at that time said a Tampa Bay firefighter and a restaurant owner were among some of those men that responded to the online ads.
Isabelle’s dad was incarcerated. She said Hughes refused to enroll her in school but instead forced her into prostitution for at least seven months, all while giving her drugs and alcohol.
The Department of Justice said Backpage “facilitated the exploitation of women and children as one of the largest online advertisers for commercial sex and sex trafficking over its 14-year existence.”
According to the DOJ, Backpage.com, its owners, and key executives and businesses related to the platform have been found guilty of criminal offenses, including conspiring to facilitate unlawful commercial sex using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce and money laundering, and have been sentenced to federal terms of imprisonment.
“Isabelle’s story is remarkable, but unfortunately, it is a common pattern,” said Travis Walker, Isabelle’s attorney. “It’s family members, trafficking, family members for drugs and money.”
Isabelle’s Attorney Travis Walker filed a federal lawsuit in March, against Backpage, the software company Salesforce and other key players. He wanted Isabelle and other survivors to receive compensation and justice, all while demanding changes for those who play a key role in trafficking.
Isabelle is now focusing on her future with her partner, Cody and their baby boy, River.
“Without accountability, there really is no mean for change,” Isabelle said. “Nobody is going to change. hotels won’t change. The people won’t change.”
In December 2024, the Department of Justice forfeited over $200 million in assets traceable to Backpage’s profits. These funds are now available to compensate victims.
Victims whose sex trafficking was facilitated through advertisements posted on Backpage.com between Jan. 1, 2004 through April 6, 2018 may be eligible for remission.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Brittany Muller
Tue, September 23, 2025 at 2:54 AM GMT+5
3 min read
Types of Human Trafficking Cases We Handle
- Sex Trafficking: These cases involve the exploitation of individuals to engage in sex acts for money. Survivors may range from adults to minors.
- Labor Trafficking: These cases involve forced servitude or labor, which can occur in industries such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction.
- Child Trafficking: This involves the exploitation of minors for labor or sex.
- Domestic Servitude: Such cases involve forcing survivors to work domestically for little or no compensation and without the ability to leave.
- Forced Crimes: In such cases, individuals are compelled to commit crimes, such as theft or drug distribution, under threat or coercion.Human trafficking cases in any form have unique legal challenges. Our Florida human trafficking lawyers use strategic litigation to hold traffickers accountable through civil lawsuits and obtain compensation for survivors.
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