Tampa Bay Survivor Speaks Out, Sold for Sex by Her Mother, Seeks Justice

HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Eight years after an undercover operation, a Tampa Bay woman has bravely stepped into the spotlight, revealing her true identity for the first time.

As a teenager, she was exploited and sold for sex by her own mother.

“This kind of trauma shatters you,” said Isabelle Hughes, a survivor of human trafficking. “It wrecks your life, and climbing back from that is an immense struggle.”

As a survivor, Isabelle has persisted in her quest to bring her abusers to justice and encourage other trafficking victims to speak out.

Polk County Sheriff reports 10 human trafficking victims uncovered in a week-long probe Isabelle was raised in St. Petersburg. At 16, she relocated with her mother, Kristina Hughes, to Brooksville, where she claims Hughes manipulated her from a young age, leading to her being trafficked for sex.

On May 19, 2017, Isabelle was freed from her Brooksville residence.

“For years, I was consumed by thoughts of ending my life because of the memories—of what those men and my mom put me through,” Isabelle shared.

Following a two-year investigation triggered by an anonymous tip, Hughes and nine men, aged 19 to 75, were apprehended on human trafficking charges.

“Cases like this, as a mother, leave me dumbfounded,” said Sen. Ashley Moody, former Florida attorney general. “They are gut-wrenching and devastating.”

Now 25, the past still lingers for Isabelle. She’s opening up about her experience for the first time.

“There was a day she instructed me to wear a black dress and took pictures of me,” Isabelle recalled.

Hughes photographed Isabelle, then 16, often in her underwear.

“She listed an ad on Backpage, arranging meetings with men at our home,” she explained.

Authorities noted that among the respondents were a Tampa Bay firefighter and a restaurant owner.

With her father imprisoned, Isabelle said Hughes denied her schooling, instead coercing her into prostitution for at least seven months while supplying her with drugs and alcohol.

The Department of Justice described Backpage as “a major online platform that enabled the exploitation of women and children as a leading advertiser for commercial sex and trafficking over its 14-year run.”

The DOJ reports that Backpage.com, its owners, key executives, and affiliated businesses were convicted of crimes such as conspiring to promote illegal commercial sex across state or international lines and money laundering, resulting in federal prison sentences.

“Isabelle’s ordeal is extraordinary, yet it mirrors a frequent pattern,” said her attorney, Travis Walker. “It’s often family members trafficking their own for drugs or cash.”

In March, Travis Walker filed a federal lawsuit against Backpage, the software firm Salesforce, and other significant players, seeking compensation and justice for Isabelle and other survivors while pushing for reforms among those complicit in trafficking.

Isabelle is now building a future with her partner, Cody, and their son, River.

“Without holding people accountable, there’s no push for change,” Isabelle stated. “No one will shift—hotels won’t, individuals won’t.”

In December 2024, the Department of Justice seized over $200 million in assets linked to Backpage’s earnings, now allocated to support victims.

Victims whose trafficking was aided by ads on Backpage.com from January 1, 2004, to April 6, 2018, may qualify for remission.