A man has been arrested on five counts, after fighting with a woman at a Scottsdale Airbnb rental.
Scottsdale police were called to a short term rental on Dec. 26, after a neighbor overheard a man telling a
woman he “would punch her” and heard the woman screaming. When officers arrived, the female victim told officers that she was being trafficked. Police arrested Steven Hurry, 60, at the scene.
According to the investigation and court documents, Hurry hired the woman as a housekeeper in his California home in May 2022. Later that year, Hurry convinced the woman to allow him take photos of her to make a prostitution ad. He moved to Tucson later that year with her and the woman told investigators she was given money from the sexual encounters Hurry arranged and that Hurry kept all of the money she had earned. In addition, he kept her legal documents in a box in his vehicle and would not give them to her. Court papers say that in November, both the woman and Hurry moved to Scottsdale and rented a room in a Roadway Inn. At that time Hurry posted another prostitution ad of the woman. Reports state that he recorded each sexual encounter on a camera and downloaded it onto a hard drive onto his computer. The woman told officers that Hurry restrained her and “whipped her genitals” if she put the money she earned in the wrong place.
In December, the two rented an apartment through Airbnb in Scottsdale. It was at this time that the woman refused to perform the sexual acts Hurry set up. When she did so, he strangled her. Their fight led to help from a witness and to Hurry’s arrest.
According to court documents, when police asked Hurry if he was involved in sex trafficking or prostitution, he told them he did not want to answer. Investigators on scene found evidence of prostitution in Hurry’s rented Airbnb, including a USB with videos of the woman and several men, the female victim’s marriage license, and additional items.
Hurry has been charged with sex trafficking, sexual assault, aggravated assault, pandering and disorderly conduct and is being held on a $50,000 bond.
If you suspect or know of someone who is being trafficked, call the AZ Tipline at 877-4AZ-TIPS or the National Tipline at 888-373-7888. For more information, click here.
