After one of the two defendants in an Emporia human trafficking and commercial sex exploitation case was set for trial late last week, the second defendant accepted a plea agreement.
On Tuesday, Maria Elena Trillo accepted an Alford guilty plea to one count of commercial exploitation of a child. An Alford plea means a defendant maintains his or her innocence but recognizes there is enough evidence for a conviction.
The remaining counts, one of exploitation and two of aggravated human trafficking, have been dropped.
Judge Jeff Larson also reset bond at $25,000, down from $250,000. Trillo must surrender her passport and cannot have any contact, direct or indirect, with the victim or any witnesses in the case.
Sentencing is Oct. 16.
Trillo and her husband, Jesus Mannuel Trillo-Hurtado, were charged in early July for alleged illegal activity with a child who was no more than 17 years old when the alleged crimes took place in 2016. Trillo-Hurtado still faces two counts of aggravated trafficking and two of commercial exploitation. As part of a hearing last week, Trillo-Hurtado was set for a motion hearing Sept. 6, a trial status hearing Nov. 6 and jury trial beginning Nov. 12.
