Tip leads to human trafficking arrest

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - She is not even old enough to vote, but police said she was being pimped out for sex by an Albuquerque man.

It was a concerned citizen and call to a hotline that landed that man behind bars.

Dante Mckay, 32, is accused of pimping out a 17-year-old girl for $180 an hour. He's now charge with human trafficking.

"Due to the fact she is a minor, she is basically looking to someone else, and this person, the offender, is guiding her into this course of business essentially," Albuquerque police Sgt. Trish Hoffman said.

Police caught on to Dante after a worker at an Albuquerque business called the National Human Trafficking hotline in Washington, D.C. to report a tip. That call was rerouted to Albuquerque Wednesday.

The caller said Dante and the girl were at the business and that Dante was being possessive.

The caller said that something just did not feel right.

"And (the caller) stated there may be a female that was being used for prostitution or possible prostitution," Hoffman said.

With info from the tipster, police were able to track down the girl's prostitution ad on the website backpage.com.

The website has local escort and prostitution ads according to police.

"Detectives were able to set up and arrangement to meet her for prostitution purposes," Hoffman said.

The meet up was at the Ambassador Hotel in Albuquerque where police said they saw Dante come out of the same room the 17-year-old was waiting in.

Detectives moved in and arrested the girl after she agreed to have sex for money.

Dante was in his car in the hotel parking lot when police arrested him shortly afterward.

Police said he was the one who rented the room at the hotel and ultimately pimped the girl out for sex.

The 17-year-old was arrested for prostitution.

Police are interviewing her to find out more about her relationship with Dante. He is on a no-bond hold in the county jail.

Police said they are also looking to see if Dante may have pimped out other girls.