Hopkins High School Cheerleader Charged with Prostituting Teammate

An 18-year-old Maple Grove woman, a senior on the Hopkins High School cheerleading team, is accused of trafficking a 16-year-old Hopkins cheerleader by placing an ad on Backpage.com and convincing her to prostitute herself.

Montia Marie Parker has been charged with two felonies: sex trafficking in the second degree and solicitation, inducement and promotion of prostitution. 

"Although these events did not occur on school grounds, these charges are very serious," according to a statement from Hopkins Schools. "When we learned of them, we acted immediately to ensure the safety of all Hopkins High School students. In responding to this incident, we followed our discipline and safety policy, which includes permanently removing a student from campus. Whether an incident occurs on our campus or not, student safety is always our top priority." 

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

The victim is a 16-year-old sophomore at Hopkins High School and on the cheerleading team. 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. 

If convicted of the sex trafficking charge, Parker could be sentenced to as many as 15 years in prison and fined up to $40,000. If convicted on the other charge, she could be sentenced to as many as 20 years in prison and fined $50,000.

Parker made her first court appearance on May 23 and has another court appearance June 12. She is not currently in jail.