Texas Man Held Captive for Seven Days, Forcibly Recruited to Sex Work by Woman Known as "Cookie"
A north Harris County man recounted the harrowing details of his week-long ordeal at the hands of a woman identified only as "Cookie" – who is actually Herbinique Forest. The 32-year-old victim said he was kidnapped at gunpoint on October 18 and held against his will, subjected to physical abuse, and forced into sex work with men.
Forest allegedly recruited the victim under false pretenses, claiming she had a job for him that would help him make money since he didn't have a job. She took him to a Regency Inn near FM 1960, where he met Forest, who also goes by "Cookie." Court documents show that Forest assaulted him when he refused to comply with her demands.
The victim described the scene as chaotic, with numerous individuals involved, including crack addicts and homeless people. He claimed that Forest threatened to kill him if he tried to escape, stating, "Like a couple days in, I kind of wanted her to kill me."
After almost a week, the victim managed to send a text message on his hidden phone, which was intercepted by authorities. On October 24, Forest picked him up from a parking lot near Ross, and he finally escaped.
All three suspects – Esmeralda Pena, Herbinique Forest, and Nickson Simmons – are facing charges of aggravated kidnapping. The investigation is ongoing, with the victims' relatives expressing gratitude to his aunt for saving his life.
The case highlights the alarming rise in human trafficking cases across Texas, with many victims being lured into sex work under false pretenses or by force. Authorities warn that such crimes often go undetected, and it's crucial for potential victims to be vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately.
A north Harris County man recounted the harrowing details of his week-long ordeal at the hands of a woman identified only as "Cookie" – who is actually Herbinique Forest. The 32-year-old victim said he was kidnapped at gunpoint on October 18 and held against his will, subjected to physical abuse, and forced into sex work with men.
Forest allegedly recruited the victim under false pretenses, claiming she had a job for him that would help him make money since he didn't have a job. She took him to a Regency Inn near FM 1960, where he met Forest, who also goes by "Cookie." Court documents show that Forest assaulted him when he refused to comply with her demands.
The victim described the scene as chaotic, with numerous individuals involved, including crack addicts and homeless people. He claimed that Forest threatened to kill him if he tried to escape, stating, "Like a couple days in, I kind of wanted her to kill me."
After almost a week, the victim managed to send a text message on his hidden phone, which was intercepted by authorities. On October 24, Forest picked him up from a parking lot near Ross, and he finally escaped.
All three suspects – Esmeralda Pena, Herbinique Forest, and Nickson Simmons – are facing charges of aggravated kidnapping. The investigation is ongoing, with the victims' relatives expressing gratitude to his aunt for saving his life.
The case highlights the alarming rise in human trafficking cases across Texas, with many victims being lured into sex work under false pretenses or by force. Authorities warn that such crimes often go undetected, and it's crucial for potential victims to be vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately.
I'm low-key shocked this dude managed to escape after 7 days of captivity 
. How did he even manage to send a text message on his hidden phone? 
Wasn't that supposed to be confiscated by the authorities? That's some dodgy police work if you ask me 
.
And what about the authorities' response time? They're saying "alarming rise in human trafficking" and warning victims to be vigilant, but how long did it take them to even get involved in this case? 
, this is so messed up 
! Seven days locked up with no way out? That's like, a nightmare come true 
. It's crazy how these people can be so calculating and heartless 
. The fact that there were others involved in this too, like those crack addicts and homeless people... it's just a whole other level of depraved 
. And now they're all facing charges? That's not enough 
, we need to do more to protect these innocent people and make sure these monsters get the justice they deserve 
.
she just took advantage of someone who was already in a vulnerable spot and forced him into sex work. it's crazy how many people are involved in these human trafficking cases, and it's wild that he got to escape after 7 whole days 
i hope the people behind this get what's coming to them 
. I'm glad the guy managed to send out a text message and got rescued, but like... how did she get away with this for so long? 
.
I mean, who wouldn't trust a woman who calls herself "Cookie"? Sounds like the perfect candidate for a job, right? 
But seriously, this is just another example of how some people can turn a life around... NOT. 
It's crazy that it took him almost a week to muster up the courage to escape. I wonder if he had to live with himself for a whole 7 days wondering what his life was going to be like when he got out? 
Either way, kudos to whoever intercepted those texts and saved this guy from a life of sex work. Hope they get some justice and can finally move on from this nightmare 
That don't sound right to me 
. And the fact that she was using a fake name like Cookie 
... shady much? 
. Like, if people look out for each other and report suspicious activity, we can make a real difference 
. We gotta stay vigilant and help each other out 
.
It's just not cool 
.
. What's even more disturbing is that these people are using Regency Inn as some kinda hideout 
. I feel so bad for the guy who escaped and his aunt who must've been freaking out the whole time 
. Can't we just report suspicious activity to the authorities already? 
. And it's not just Texas, globally over 40 million people are trapped in modern slavery 
. Can we believe the number of victims who report their situation to law enforcement? Only about 1 in 10 
. We need to raise awareness and support for these survivors, like the guy's aunt who saved his life 
. And the worst part is, it's happening more and more often in Texas