Man Charged With Sex Trafficking Teens Granted Bail

A Boston man charged with bringing three underage girls from Massachusetts to Rhode Island with plans to prostitute them has been granted bail.

A judge on Tuesday set bail for 21-year-old Derek Miranda at $75,000.

The Providence Journal reports that as of Tuesday afternoon, Miranda had not made bail and remained in jail.

Miranda faces kidnapping and sex trafficking charges.

Police said the girls were found in December after a 14-year-old girl escaped from a Providence apartment and texted for help. Officers say the other girls were 14 and 15.

Police say Miranda, of Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, drove the girls against their will from Randolph, Massachusetts, to Providence. Police say the girls did not engage in prostitution.

Miranda didn't enter a plea. If convicted, he faces a life sentence.