Man faces sex trafficking charges after neighbor hears screams in Scottsdale apartment

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A man has been arrested on various charges, including five counts of sex trafficking, after fighting with a woman in the front yard of a Scottsdale short-term rental.

On Dec. 26, a neighbor reportedly overheard a man telling a woman he “would punch her,” followed by a woman screaming and called Scottsdale police. When officers arrived, the woman involved in the fight told officers that she was being trafficked. Steven Hurry, 60, was arrested at the scene.

According to court documents, Hurry hired the woman as a housekeeper for his California home in May 2022. When he moved to Tucson later that year with her, he convinced the woman to let him take photos of her to make a prostitution ad, court papers say. The woman told investigators she made money from the sexual encounters Hurry arranged and that Hurry kept the money she had earned and her legal documents away from her in a box in his vehicle. In November, the two moved to Scottsdale and stayed in a Roadway Inn where Hurry posted another prostitution ad of the woman, court papers say. He recorded each sexual encounter on a camera and downloaded it onto a hard drive, according to court papers. The woman told investigators that Hurry would restrain her and whip her genitals if she put the money she earned in the wrong place.

In December, the two moved into a short-term rental in Scottsdale, and court papers say when the woman started refusing the sexual encounters Hurry arranged, he would try to strangle her. The two started fighting, eventually leading to Hurry’s arrest. Court papers say when police asked Hurry if he was involved in sex trafficking or prostitution, he told them he didn’t want to answer. According to court documents, investigators found evidence of prostitution in the short-term rental Hurry was renting, including documents, the woman’s marriage license, a USB with videos of the woman and several men, and other items.

Hurry faces various charges, including five counts of sex trafficking, sexual assault, aggravated assault, pandering and disorderly conduct. He is being held on a $50,000 bond. If you suspect someone you see or know is being trafficked, call the AZ Tipline at 877-4AZ-TIPS or the National Tipline at 888-373-7888. For more resources, click here.

Airbnb also released a statement to Arizona’s Family about Hurry.

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