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N.J. AG: Burlington County couple drugged teen, forced her to work as prostitute

The victim, 17, thought she was meeting the pair for a babysitting job when they allegedly ensnared her.

Adria Regn and Christopher White are charged with human trafficking and other crimes.
Adria Regn and Christopher White are charged with human trafficking and other crimes.Read moreN.J. Attorney General's Office

A Burlington County couple are accused of forcing a 17-year-old girl to work as a prostitute for 10 days by threatening to beat her and making her take drugs after meeting the pair in a motel room for what she thought was a babysitting job.

Christopher K. White, 19, of Eastampton, and his girlfriend, Adria Regn, 28, of Mount Holly, were indicted by a state grand jury Monday on charges that included conspiracy, human trafficking, promoting the prostitution of a minor, and child pornography, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said.

According to the indictment, the couple allegedly prostituted the girl at South Jersey motels after they posted nude photos of her on Backpage.com advertising her as an "escort." They also allegedly forced her to inhale crystal methamphetamine with them while working as a prostitute.

"This is a classic case of human trafficking where these defendants allegedly trapped an underage girl in dehumanizing circumstances in which they gave her drugs and forced her to have sex with multiple men per day," Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said in a news release Tuesday.

"It's terrible for anyone to be exploited in this manner, but it's especially heartbreaking when the victim is so young and vulnerable." Porrino said. 

Authorities said the investigation began when the victim escaped and contacted law enforcement. Regn has two young children, and the victim, who knew White, went to a motel to meet them, thinking she would be babysitting the children.

When she got there, she told authorities, White and Regn allegedly gave her crystal methamphetamine and marijuana and told her that she needed to work as an "escort" for them so that they could make money.

If she did not work as an escort, she was told, it would be her fault if Regn's children ended up on the street, the 17-year-old told police. White allegedly threatened to beat the victim if she did not take the drugs and he also allegedly threatened to find her and beat her if she fled.

White and Regn allegedly arranged the sexual encounters and stayed in the same motel room, or an adjoining room. After the encounters, the couple allegedly collected money but did not share any with the victim, authorities said.  During a three- or four-day stay at a motel in Wrightstown, White and Regn allegedly made the victim have sex with at least five men each day.

The victim ultimately fled while White and Regn were asleep, authorities. White and Regn initially were arrested in May by Mount Holly police and have since been detained in the Burlington County Jail.

 "Our Human Trafficking Unit will continue to work with law enforcement partners throughout the state to rescue victims of human trafficking and ensure that those responsible for these deplorable crimes are aggressively prosecuted," said Elie Honig, director of the Attorney General's Division of Criminal Justice.

The human-trafficking charge carries a sentence of 20 years without parole to life, and a fine of up to $200,000.