A Texarkana woman pleaded not guilty to a human trafficking charge Monday in Bowie County.
Linda Michelle “Gucci” Dooley, 38, appeared for arraignment Monday morning before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. Assistant Public Defender Clayton Haas entered a not guilty plea for Dooley to a charge of human trafficking, a felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison.
Tidwell scheduled the case for a jury trial in February.
Dooley is accused of posting advertisements on internet escort sites such as skipthegames.com to have sex with a 16-year-old girl who was reported missing in March to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office, according to a probable cause affidavit. Dooley allegedly arranged for the girl to have sex with five men per day at a price of $200 each.
BCSO and Texas Department of Public Safety investigators determined the girl had been living in Dooley’s home on Waterman Street in Texarkana, Texas, and eventually tracked the girl down and took her into state care.
The girl allegedly reported that Dooley kept most, if not all of the money the girl received through prostitution “to cover expenses related to housing” the girl. The girl allegedly believed the life she had was “simply a cost associated with making her own way.”
The girl told investigators she left her own home because of family problems.
During an interview in June, Dooley allegedly denied prostituting the girl though she admitted to engaging in prostitution herself for a living.
Court records show Dooley is in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $75,000 and that she has a parole hold.
