Joselito Martinez Gonzalez and Tanya Wurster forced women into prostitution, authorities said. “Commercial sex dates” happened while their child was at home, investigators said. (Mugshots: Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation)
A couple coerced women into prostitution after bonding them out of jail, even branding at least two of them with tattoos, according to authorities in Central Florida. Now investigators fear there could be more victims, claiming defendants Joselito Martinez Gonzalez, 34, and Tanya Wurster, 30, were always looking for more.
“Martinez and Wurster have a minor child together and according to testimony, the child was often present in the home while the commercial sex dates were occurring,” investigators wrote.
Agents for the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, a multi-agency task force among law enforcement in Orange and Osceola Counties, arrested the couple last Wednesday. They are working on identifying more victims, officials said in a statement.
“MBI is asking if anyone has information about other victims or information about the defendants’ criminal acts to contact MBI, Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS, or their local law enforcement agency,” authorities said.
Investigators said the couple forced the women into prostitution between 2019 and 2021 in the Central Florida region.
“Martinez and Wurster provided a place to live for the victims, usually after bonding them from jail,” authorities said. “In return, the victims were forced to engage in commercial sex acts with customers. Martinez and Wurster took photos of the victims and advertised them on internet commercial sex sites. Martinez and Wurster took all proceeds from the commercial sex dates and financial records indicate they may have made as much as $300,000 over a two year period.”
In order to control the victims, Martinez Gonzalez used drugs, threats of violence, and humiliating acts, such as shaving a victim’s head, authorities said.
He allegedly made at least two of them get tattoos, thereby branding them as his property.
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Martinez Gonzalez remains at the Orange County Jail without bond for a probation violation. Bond was set at $45,000 for three counts of kidnapping to coerce sexual activity. Martinez Gonzalez previously served three years in prison for organized fraud of $50,000 or more, state records show. Wurster also spent 18 months behind bars for conspiracy to commit the same crime.
Records do not show Wurster behind bars. She faces three counts of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution.
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