The woman charged with forcing a 13-year-old girl into prostitution and exotic dancing broke down in tears during an appearance in Miami-Dade court Thursday.
Marlene San Vincente, 22, is charged with human trafficking, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, lewd and lascivious conduct on a person less than 16 and delivering a controlled substance to a person under 18, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
San Vincente, who is also facing drug possession charges, was ordered held without bond until she makes another court appearance Friday because her attorney didn't appear at Thursday's appearance.
During Thursday's bond court appearance, San Vincente said she makes $1,500 a week as a dancer, which precludes her from getting a public defender.
San Vincente, along with 36-year-old Vilbert Jean and 18-year-old DeWayne Ward, were arrested earlier this week after they forced the runaway teen to prostitute herself and dance at a strip club for their benefit against her will for nearly a month, according to the State Attorney's Office and police reports.
After the girl refused to continue to work as a prostitute, she was supervised and tutored by San Vicente and began stripping at Club Madonna in Miami Beach, the report said.
Richard Wolfe, an attorney for Club Madonna, said San Vincente was a dancer at the club on and off for two years.
"We don't know how the alleged minor showed up at the club. We understand and been told that this Marlene brought her in," Wolfe said.
The club has turned over security video to police, Wolfe said.
"We've fully cooperated. We are appalled that this happened," he said.
All of the money the teen made was given over to San Vincente, Jean and Ward, authorities said.
Jean, who had been released after his arrest, was taken back into custody Thursday after his bond was revoked. Ward remains behind bars on $28,500 bond.
The girl, who ran away from home on Dec. 10, was found by her mother on Jan. 6 in the area of North Miami Avenue and Northeast 55th Street.
According to police, the teen was held captive at a nearby home. She was given alcohol and marijuana and was shown weapons and threatened with bodily harm if she tried to escape, the report said.
She was also forced to have sex with Ward on more than six occasions, the report said.
