It wasn't the first time the 12-year-old Dallas girl had disappeared. In 2006, after flunking the fifth grade, she ran away out of fear she'd get in trouble, says her grandmother. Eventually, her family found her on the street in a downtown entertainment district. Then last November, the girl went missing again. Her family searched for three weeks until her father spotted her in the same neighborhood, wearing a skimpy outfit and stiletto heels, says her grandmother, who declined to be named to protect the child's identity. The girl said she'd been working as a stripper at Dallas's Diamonds Cabaret. According to her police statement, she'd been taken there by a couple with whom she'd sought refuge and who made her earn her keep by stripping.

The case, which became public last month, has shocked the Dallas area. Many residents are outraged that the club remains open. (Its owners didn't return calls seeking comment.) Officials are now working on new provisions that would make it easier to revoke a cabaret's license if it employs minors. Authorities have also moved against the couple who allegedly housed the girl. In February, they indicted David Bell, 22, and Demonica Abron, 28, on charges of felony sexual performance of a child, among other counts. The defendants could not be reached for comment.

The girl, says her grandmother, is "a 12-year-old trapped in an 18-year-old's body." She told police she tried to leave the couple's home at one point, but was blocked by Bell, who she said also forced her to perform oral sex on him. One night, she escaped while he slept. Now, says her grandmother, "she's doing fine. I just hope this is the last of it."