Mom jailed, indicted in child prostitution case

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A woman indicted after being accused of selling her young daughter for sex is in the Mahoning County jail.

The Mahoning County grand jury on Thursday indicted Victoria Gregory, 36, of Willis Avenue, on a felony count of trafficking in persons [for] commercial sex acts, three felony counts of rape that carry a life sentence and a single felony count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

Mahoning County Sheriff’s Maj. Jeff Allen said Gregory was taken into custody Friday morning. Her arraignment date has not been set.

Mark Burney, 53, of Breaden Street, also was indicted on three felony-life rape counts in the case. U.S. Marshals on Friday afternoon worked to arrange his surrender, Allen said. He was in custody later Friday, according to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

“Through interviews and the investigation from our detective, we were able to identify [Burney, who] was able to take advantage of the child through Gregory,” Allen said.

Jennifer McLaughlin, assistant county prosecutor, said Thursday said Gregory’s daughter was 8 years old when the abuse allegedly took place between 2013 and 2016.

Allen said the child is now safe through the efforts of Mahoning County Children Services.

Allen said investigators believe Gregory prostituted her child to fund her drug habit.

County court records show Gregory pleaded guilty to cocaine possession charges in 2017 and was sentenced to three years’ probation. She had been “negatively terminated” from the court’s mental health intervention program after being denied entry to the county’s drug court program, records show.

Burney also pleaded to misdemeanor drug possession charges in Youngstown Municipal Court, records show.