She was 18 years old and homeless.

He offered her food, shelter, money.

Then he offered her up for sale to others, sex for money.

He kept the money.

He kept her against her will and forced her to do his bidding.

That's the case the New Mexico attorney general is making against Tilford Black in the state's first human trafficking case under a law passed here in 2008.

Black, a Nevada resident, was indicted by a grand jury in April and arrested by the Albuquerque Police Department's Vice Unit at a motel where he allegedly forced the young woman into prostitution. Black is charged with human trafficking, a third-degree felony, promoting prostitution and accepting the earnings of a prostitute, both fourth-degree felonies, and driving with a revoked or suspended license.

According to his indictment, reported on by KRQE at the time, Black "knowingly recruited, solicited, enticed, obtained or transported the victim with the intent or knowledge that force, fraud or coercion was used to subject her to engage in commercial sexual activity."

The case may go to trial soon, according to Maria Sanchez-Gagne, an assistant attorney general prosecuting the case.

Black is represented by Albuquerque attorney John T. Grubesic. Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

Sanchez-Gagne said her division has learned much from working this first case. The most important, she said Wednesday during a human trafficking training at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, was to protect the victim. Her testimony is critical in the case.

She said the state is investigating several other human trafficking cases through a team involving state, local and federal agencies.

Human trafficking is estimated to be a $9 billion to $12 billion industry in the United States, according to Sanchez-Gagne. It is the second most lucrative illicit business after drug trafficking. Unlike drugs and arms trafficking, humans can be exploited multiple times after the initial "point of sale," she said. Human services — sex, labor or both — can be used by traffickers for years to make profits.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the geographic area of the estimated $9 to $12 billion human trafficking industry. That figure is for the United States. Corrected 3 p.m. July 22, 2010.