Crime & Safety

Hopkins Cheerleader Admits to Prostitution Charges

Montia Marie Parker pleaded guilty to three prostitution-related charges.

A former Hopkins High School cheerleader has admitted that she convinced her teammate to work as a prostitute, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Friday.

Montia Marie Parker, 18, of Maple Grove, pleaded guilty to first-degree soliciting a minor to practice prostitution, first-degree sex trafficking of a minor and first-degree promotion of prostitution of a minor.

Parker turned down a deal in which she would have been sentenced to between 45 and 60 months in prison in exchange for a guilty plea, according to the County Attorney’s Office. Instead, the sides will argue over an appropriate sentence at an Oct. 11 hearing.

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Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines recommend 90 months in prison, with a range that goes as high as 108 months.

 

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The Accusations

During her guilty plea, Parker confirmed the details alleged against her in the charging documents.

On March 11, FBI Special Agent Dixon Kuglin received information regarding prostitution-related activities involving several female students at Hopkins High School.

The victim was a 16-year-old sophomore at Hopkins High School and on the cheerleading team when the charges were filed. Her mother told police that she is on an Individual Education Plan at school and works with a social worker due to a developmental cognitive delay.

On Friday, March 1, police say she was talking to several friends and cheerleading teammates about trying to make some money. One of her friends mentioned that she could make money with sex. She told police she thought it was a joke, but they talked about it anyway.

On Sunday, March 3, the victim allegedly received a Facebook message from Parker, who she knew was a senior on the cheerleading team. Parker obtained her phone number and texted her asking if she wanted to make some money, according to court documents.

According to police, Parker asked her to send some pictures of herself that were "not too nasty but kinda cute." Police say Parker posted the photos to Backpage.com to advertise for the girl.  

Prosecutors accuse Parker of arranging the meetings, urging the girl to leave school and driving the girl to the men's homes.

The girl received $60 for an incident on March 5 and gave the money to Parker, according to police, who deposited the cash into her bank account. She allegedly gave none of the proceeds to the victim.

On March 6, Parker called the high school and pretended to be the girl's mother asking her to be excused for the day, according to the criminal complaint. Parker allegedly drove her to Brooklyn Park. 

The girl told police that she didn't want to do what was asked of her and left without completing a sex act. Parker drove her back to school.

The girl's mother told police that she had noticed changes in her daughter and found out about the unexcused absence from school on March 5. She checked her daughter's cell phone and found text messages about prostitution between her daughter and Parker. She called police. 

Officers found the ad on Backpage.com that they say Parker posted for her teammate. The phone number in the ad was Parker's. 

According to the County Attorney’s Office, when Parker’s lawyer asked her how she felt, Parker responded, “Guilty. Regretful. Remorseful.”

Hennepin County District Court Judge William Koch accepted Parker’s guilty pleas and will hand down the sentence but wanted the full hearing in
October because he said he has some concerns and needs more information.




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