New Details in Teenage Prostitution Case

New details are coming out about a prostitution case in Dayton, Tennessee involving two teenage girls and the woman who police say is behind it all. It's a developing story we first told you about Wednesday. Not only did we sit down and talk to the mother of one of the young victims,but we also met up with Mersadie Pankey's mother. Panky is the woman who remains behind bars for allegedly trying to start an escort service with the girls she met in the Dayton Housing Authority's Taylor Hills development.

“I don't think my daughter should be the only one to be punished for it. I think everyone involved should be punished,” said Donna Minton, Mersadie Pankey's mother.

“They were not trying to start an escort service. They got wrapped up in something and made a terrible mistake,” she said.

But according to police, Panky, also known as Mercy, knew what she was doing when she used two 16 year old girls to do her dirty work. Police said Mercy would send one girl into a house full of men to pick up their money, then send the other in afterwards to perform sexual acts. It has one of the teenager's mother enraged.

“To kill her! To kill her!” exclaimed Melisha Brown, “because my daughter was involved.”

Wednesday night Brown told us she wasn't aware of the scheme until a detective showed up at her door. She said her daughter did not prostitute herself but participated by taking money on Mercy's behalf, so Mercy could make her car payment.

“I want the world to know about Mercy,” said Brown. “She was trying to hide it. No, I want the world to know that she's dead a-- wrong. Dead wrong!”

Crystal Perez defended Mercy and said, “Mersadie didn't have a gun to nobody's head. They wanted to go on their own freewill.”

Despite what this neighbor said, detectives have not charged the teenage girls, saying the girls felt forced into this lewd behavior and Mercy took most of the profits.

“They were splitting the money up. They were all dividing it. Everybody profited from it,” said Minton.

Rhea County Detective Rocky Potter said it's happened three times at three different locations, involving many men who are also not in trouble.

“Didn't know any names, full names. Of course, they had nicknames. I did try to run a few down. Dead ends at all locations,” he explained.

“They should be prosecuted too,” said Minton. “And I know people who know every one of them, know every person that the girl was with.”

Mercy is charged with three felony counts of promoting prostitution and six misdemeanors of contributing to the delinquency of minors. She's in jail with a bond hearing set for Friday. One of the teenage girls is now in state custody and undergoing counseling.