BEAUMONT — Four women have shared their stories about how they were threatened then forced into prostitution.
Johnny Ray Matlock of Silsbee is accused of continuous trafficking of persons in Jefferson County's first sex trafficking trial.
The fourth woman to testify claimed she was trafficked and spoke about how that impacted her life.
She said she no longer trusts anyone and even feels guilty because she opened up to Matlock.
She met Matlock through Facebook messenger when she was only 18-years-old. She told the jury her gut reaction was to stay away from him but she ended up meeting up with him because she had no other place to stay.
She said at the time, she had a bad reputation so Matlock suggested that she might as well get money if she was going to sleep around.
She said she tried to leave after 6 days but Matlock pulled a gun on her.
The witness explains she started pleading and crying out for God. She said that’s when Matlock told her “God can’t help you now.”
Looking back, she said she never thought sex trafficking could happen in Beaumont.
“I thought it was a big city thing or something you saw in movies but it opened up my eyes that things like this actually happen,” said the witness.
Matlock is accused of trafficking all four women who testified.
Three of them were teenagers whom he met online and prosecutors said their proof is in writing.
They showed the jury Facebook messages from Matlock to multiple women about working for him.
In several messages he also tells women he is a pimp.
In another message he told a friend a woman was pressing charges. He said he didn’t want his friend to say anything because he was worried he would get in trouble and go to jail.
He also sent pictures of himself with guns, drugs and money.
Some of the women have moved out of state to move on. They were too scared to stay anywhere near Matlock.
If convicted, Matlock could face 25 years to life in prison.